


Soulless

by NyeShuu



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV, WeishenV
Genre: M/M, sci-fi fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2020-07-12 08:35:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19943254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyeShuu/pseuds/NyeShuu
Summary: Souls are much more powerful than what we all can imagine. But Ten would never know that.





	1. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! How are you? After 4 years writing and re-writing this story, I'm finally comfortable enough to publish it. I dreamed about this plot back in 2015, and since then I've being looking for perfect characters to occupy all the roles I created. 
> 
> I hope you all can enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it!
> 
> I'm very thankfull to every friend who supported me all these years to never give up on this story!
> 
> Also, English is not my first language, so forgive any mistakes, please <3
> 
> See you!

There was a time when his naked feet felt happy running through the soil, sliding in the fresh mud from some previous rain. A time when the summer rain would make him sleep, calming his body and mind on Taeyong’s arms.

But that time was long gone, and now, his feet were bleeding from running away in fear, as fast as he could. The strong wind of an upcoming storm making him dizzy, scared, whispering wrong paths for him to take in the dark forest.

And Taeyong’s arms weren’t there anymore.

His skin glowed in the afternoon sun, a thin layer of sweat contouring the slim muscles of his arms after a long day at work. The Tha Chin river breeze embraced him with droplets, while small waves broke against the modest wooden pier he was sat on, black hair swinging with the wind.

The Tha Chin river was his favorite place in the _whole world_ , a wonderment left by the gods, the elders said. Some believed that they were still living inside his dark waters covered in mystery and small merchants boats. 

Ten lived in one of the villages around the big Colony of Bangkok, surrounded by a tropical forest and the red ruins of a temple. He still remembered when it used to be a calm place, where people would travel around with tiny mechanical rafts and walk on small platforms right beside trees roots. 

But everything changed some years ago, when Bangkok decided to open the Samut Prakan gates to the sea. The Colony was one of the Soulless top sellers around the Pacific, and attracted people from all places around the world, interested in purchasing a high level slave. It was a big city but many weren’t allowed to find accommodation inside, only the elite.

The commoners would be sent to the villages under her command, like Ten’s village.

At the beginning, much before Ten days, the Samut Sakhon area wasn’t very populated. The tropical forest was really strong and difficult to tame so people would avoid settling there. But since the Samut Prakan gates were opened, the small entrance of Samut Sakhon grew busier to support the Colony’s business, becoming a stop to many ships that had to wait to enter Bangkok’s Harbor.

Ten was just a child when the first foreigners arrived, and the villagers had a hard time to adjust so any person with arms and legs should help. Including children.  
Sitting at the pier, he looked at the dark screen of his small _Talker_ and felt steps coming closer.

“Ten! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! I _talked_ you but you ignored me!”

Ten knew that familiar accent.

“You know this is the best place to find me after work…” and rolled his eyes.

Taeyong pushed Ten’s shoulder and sat by his side, shoving a small food bag to the other.

“Oh! So next time I will eat them alone!”

The transparent heat bag was warm from the _Kao Pun_ inside it and Ten felt the spice smell run through his nose and amuse his empty stomach. Taeyong was his best friend for sure!

His family came from a very distant land, running away from war and hunger until they found refugee in Samut Sakhon villages. His father was a very skilled mechanic engineer while his mother owned a small restaurant - _“You should eat more, Tennie! Can’t be as small as Taeyongie...”_

Taeyong’s eyes were pitch black and rounded, covered by thick caramel bangs and adorned by a small scar. It was almost sunset time, and the sky was bright in a perfect shade of orange. Taeyong hummed some song in Ten’s ears, relaxing his body. His eyes travelled around to Ten’s hair, and he couldn’t resist but peck the strands. Ten looked at him and smiled.

“Are you excited for tonight?” Ten asked with a full mouth.

Taeyong frowned in disgust but kept on his humming, not answering.

“Tae?”

“Hum?”

“Don’t “hum” me…”

“Hum…”

Ten threw the empty transparent bag aside and held Taeyong, poking him all around to force the words out. Taeyong was a shy boy even after everything he went through. His soft features would endure terrible pain, and his thin lips wouldn’t ever complain about a thing inside his heart, specially if this thing would make his best friend sad.

The taller boy giggled and tried to free himself, but Ten kept his tickles until Taeyong was out of breath.

“Ah! Ok, ok! I’ll say it! Just stop!” Ten stopped but held Taeyong arms still “I’ve been thinking about tonight, and I’m not sure if we should go…” he said.

Ten was speechless. What?

“But Tae! You were the excited one about going!” 

“I know! But… I’m not sure. I don’t feel like it’s right.”

Ten sighed. For months, Taeyong and him have been planning on going to the Welcome Ceremony that year. It was a party offered by Bangkok, where all the foreign visitors were welcomed to the sales season, with loud music, lots of fun, and the most important item: free food. Of course it was impossible for a villager to be invited, but Ten _managed_ to get some invitations. Not official but expensive enough to get them inside.

It would be the chance of their lives to enter the colony. In centuries, Bangkok built a strong hierarchy inside her walls and spread it to the villages under her control. She kept every outsider literally out, claiming that there were Soulless rebels among those people, so they couldn’t live inside. 

Ten always thought it was an absurd to accuse people who was running away from poverty and who knows what else, as Soulless. It was more than thousand years now, and the last Soulless remaining were all slaves!

Bangkok was an arrogant colony, but Ten and Taeyong wanted to see the brightness behind the gates, people who walked in golden jewelry, fine silk and hightech goods, ate all kinds of delicious food, and spoke all kinds of languages. They were both teenagers, so their curiosity was bigger than what they could help.

Ten moved his hands to Taeyong’s face. He didn’t know why the boy didn’t want to go anymore, but he wouldn’t let that chance slip through their fingers.

“Yongie, it’s going to be so fun! Why are you scared?”

“I’m not scared!”

“Ah, c’mon! Do it for me..” His lips kissed Taeyong’s right cheek, nose snuggling against the soft skin as his hands went to caress the taller boy’s nape and chin. Taeyong whined. 

“Ten...”

“Taeyong...” he played.

The faint noise coming from the river and the sunset warmth covering their skins were enough to get both of them comfortable. Taeyong relaxed against Ten’s chest, closing his eyes to the amazing head caress he was having. It was almost impossible to resist to Ten, and Taeyong knew that. His deep brown eyes covered by long eyelashes could see inside any soul, so of course he would know exactly what to do to convince Taeyong. His hands kept waving around his hair until Taeyong sighed.

“This is not fair! You are trying to convince me!”

“Isn’t it working?” Ten blinked a few times.

Ten’s eyes shined from the sunlight, and his cheeks puffed in a try to look cute enough to break his best friend down. Which worked, because Taeyong could never deal with that puppy eyes of his. No one could!

“Argh! Why are you so damn good at this?”

Ten smiled and peck at Taeyong top head.

Ok, maybe the Tha Chin was Ten’s _second_ favorite place in the whole world. The first one was Taeyong’s arms.

With the end of the day, the night came with dark sky painted in bright dots, stars that shined in different colors and sizes. The Samut Sakhon villages were now getting another kind of life, all lights on to welcome travelers heading to Bangkok, or accommodated there. The restaurants were making delicious food, spreading different kinds of scents everywhere. The narrow streets were full of lamps, orange neon sights and people, talking, laughing, and even fighting in different languages, for different reasons.

But even with the beautiful view of his village alive, Ten knew it was all a big lie. Hidden behind digital coins and delicious food, there was a very poor people, doing its best to keep the village alive. Ten saw every day how his friends had to work harder and harder to get the same amount of money, and pay Bangkok all the taxes she charged them. He saw how the travelers couldn’t care less about their traditions, and abused his people's hospitality without any kind of shame, just throwing some _almas_ at the end of the night. He knew that.

 _Almas_ that couldn’t fix a broken soul, but could buy food for his family.

Before going home, Ten had one last job to do that night. He needed to find one of the gamblers and get the damn invitations he promised, or Taeyong and him would be left out at the gates in Bangkok. He passed through filthy streets, sneaking close to walls to avoid too much attention to him going that side of the village. It was common that some man and woman would mess with him, so he already knew which paths to take. His slim elegant body, added to his pretty and expressive face, would attract any kind of attention, good and bad.

He entered one last alley and could hear the gambler’s voice, laughing with some other men, and they seemed drunk. Awesome.

“Chittaphon!” the man called. The boy approached the group of men, and all of them stopped talking, now looking straight at him and almost eating him alive with lecherous eyes. He was used to those looks, but that didn’t make things better, and he still felt as a piece of meat thrown to the dogs.

“Sir.” He said serious.

“You came for your invitations, right?” the man rested a hand on his shoulder and brought him closer to the other guys. He tried to stay a bit away from them, stiffening his legs, but the other noticed. “C’mon, Chittaphon. These are my friends, be polite.”

It sounded a little as a threat, so the boy smiled lifelessly and bowed to the men in front of him - he didn’t want to lose his invitations, for Taeyong’s sake.

“He is hot.” said one of them.

“Of course he is.” the other said proud, his hand now travelling to Ten’s nape with strong fingers.

Ten felt his whole body tremble in disgust, but his face remained the same, the eyes focused and lips sealed silently. 

He knew everything already. He knew what he had to do for the invitations, even if it was never said. He knew that his mind and body would cry, and scream, and hurt, but he did it anyway. Why him, after all, and why his soul between so many others? He knew but it hurt anyway, much more than what his strength could bare. It burned from inside, through his veins and skin. 

Shame.

Guilt.

Even if it wasn’t his fault.

He was there for minutes, or hours, or years, he didn’t know. The time got stuck in Hell, and Ten was just there with him, also stuck. His mind was blank, filled with nothing but the white despair that took control over his body, none of his surrounds making sense. He was so humiliated, so weak and hurt!

Taeyong’s words echoed through his head, a celestial signal sent and totally ignored by him. _“I’m not sure… I don’t feel it’s right”_. How could him keep a smile away from Taehyung’s face?

The man pulled away from Ten smiling, called one of the guys watching them, and ordered him to give two invitations to the boy. The second man looked at him with malicious eyes, and took from his pocket a small device beeping a thin whistle. He scanned Ten’s face and a green light turned on immediately. The boy felt his Talker buzz.

“How do you say, boy?”

“Thank you, sir” Ten said and ran out of the alley.

At least, Taeyong and him would be together that night.

Ten walked fast, big steps into the mud street that led to his house. He could feel his whole body shaking, hands turned into fists. The more he thought about what he did, the more he tried to remember Taeyong’s sweet voice, telling him that everything would be okay.

Ten tried to concentrate on his way home to not trip over something, or bump into someone he wouldn’t like to. People were all aroused about the Welcome Ceremony in Bangkok, so he could walk unnoticed, even in his terrible state.

He kept walking, disgusted of his own body and smell, trying to send away the memories of that alley, and thinking about a refreshing shower at home. He knew Bangkok would be good to him that night, and Taeyong would laugh his most precious laugh with all the amount of different food they would eat. His family would be happy too, his mother always wanted him to visit the Colony, meet new people, nice people – very different from the monsters Bangkok sent to her villages. He would even bring food and everything he could get into his pockets.

“U-uh uh”

Right there, sat on the sidewalk, with her old ragdoll in hands, was his little sister Lalisa, crying full translucent tears. She was a five years old baby, but had already endured lots of terrible things in her short life.

At that sight, Ten forgot absolutely every single thing he was thinking about himself, and ran to get her into his arms. Approaching the house, he could hear the screams.

His stepfather was a drunk old man that used to gamble mecha and drone mechanical parts in the illegal market. He was chased by the police many times and even got shot by plasma booster once! It was dangerous to stay around him but the fucker got his mother pregnant, saying he was a different man from the past, that wanted to get a new life and make a happy family. 

That convinced her – a too young woman with a teen son and no almas for food. The things were fine until Lalisa was born. The man wanted a son, not a daughter, and cursed until the last drop of liquor, saying she would be a whore just like every girl on that village, and like her twelve years old brother.

Ten got furious at the screams, but he knew better than enter the house and murder his stepfather. He hugged his sister immediately, pouncing her body to play with her, and try to calm down her tears.

“It’s ok, Lalisa, I’m here.”

The toddler just sobbed and held tight on Ten’s shirt, resting her head on his chest. Ten was sweaty and hot, but holding his sister so afraid in his arms, made him feel like drowning in a river, or standing outside in a snow day. They heard the screams for some time, until his stepfather came out from the door.

“Stay away from my daughter, fag!”

Ten could feel his blood run acid inside his veins, the strong smell of alcohol burning his nostrils. The man approached him fast, but he was faster, and stood up easily holding his sister tight on his arms.

“You stay away from her. Don’t you dare to think I don’t know how to deal with bastards like you” he growled.

The old man laughed at his face, the toothless mouth opening in a ridiculously cracked laugh.

“Of course you do, fag, you deal with bastards like a champion.” He smirked.

If Ten didn’t have Lalisa on his arms, that man would be sobbing now, with a broken nose at least. His eyes followed the drunk step away in the darkness still laughing, and just turned around when the thin figure disappeared in the night.

The boy ran inside his house, calling for his mother. Not for a moment he let go of Lalisa’s body, caressing his fingers on her back while walking each room in a rush. He found his mother sat on a chair, her both hands covering her face and tears wetting her lap.

His mother was a beautiful and good woman, with long hair and cyber ruby like lips, just like his small sister. Her skin was pale from never being able to leave the house, different from Ten’s that got tanned from so many years working under the sun. Her arms were thin, and she was very delicate, soft hands that caressed his forehead all nights before sleep.

He couldn’t handle seeing her suffer anymore. He couldn’t let the happy and gentle human being she was, die in the hands of a motherfucker with no pride or honour. He would do everything for her and his sister, that’s why he couldn’t let them down now.

Ten approached her small frame and kneeled in front of her, putting Lalisa by her feet to comfort his mother with a shaking hand.

“Mom…”

The woman rose her head fast, wild eyes that looked straight to her son’s. She gulped in a second, using her hands to dry the tear trails on her cheeks.

“Welcome home, sunshine” she said with a weak but honest smile.

“I’m home” he sighed.

“I’m sorry for this” she said raising from the chair. Her arms held Lalisa on her hips, cleaning some tears that were left on her baby girl’s face. “He came home early and the dinner wasn’t ready yet”

“You don’t have to explain me anything, mom. I know how that fu-”

His mother widened her eyes to stop the boy from cursing in front of his little sister. 

“-how that man is…” he finished.

His mother smiled and sat Lalisa on the table, turning on her wheels to get dinner ready. Ten wanted to hug her very tightly, and even sing for her like when he was a child – a secret they shared was that Ten was the one who sang to his mother, not the other way around. He stepped closer and opened his arms.

“Ain’t you late?” she said, turning to give Lalisa a bite of bread.

“Yes but…” 

“I don’t know… I don’t feel it’s right” Taeyong’s words echoed again, while his mind screamed at him all the things he did “Maybe I shouldn’t go anymore and stay here with y-”

“Don’t you dare” she turned pointing a knife at him.

“Mom…”

“Don’t “mom” me! I know that Taeyong and you have been planning on this for months. You will break his heart if you just don’t go.”

When Ten told his mother he may get two invitations to the ceremony, she refused right away, saying that he should take Taeyong with him, instead. She was already old for those kind of parties, like she said. Ten knew his mother was lying, and that she would be more than happy to go, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t ever let Lalisa for anything, much less a party.

She smiled at him and shushed him to take his bath.

“Go before I change my mind.”

For years, they were just fantastic creatures inside Ten’s mind, result of many horror stories that his friends and he were told when children. To his eyes, Soulless were too tall to walk properly, too evil to not wear electronic chains, and too ugly to be outside by daylight. That was what all the adults he knew told him. But when Bangkok started selling the said creatures, everything changed in front of his eyes.

The first Soulless he met was a tall and strong man, with pink eyes and pale skin. If not by the glowing and beeping chain around his neck, Ten would never know that he was a Soulless, he could even speak!

It was a hot summer day, and the village was full of travelers resting by the river. Ten was used to work selling goods in the pier, from a boat to another, from a flying platform to another.

Running without looking ahead, Ten felt his body bump in a strong form, with very cold skin. His legs lost its grip and the poor boy dropped everything that he was carrying on his thin arms.

“Careful, boy.” The voice was very low and scary, so Ten’s eyes widened to the sound and looked up.

The soulless stared at him from above with cold eyes. His body was well built and full of scars, and his clothes were dirty and old. A heavy black chain rested in his neck, the digital display showing the name of his owner. Ten felt his heart accelerate inside his chest, and his blood ran away from his face in fear from the creature in front of him. His breath locked on his throat while his eyes tried to figure what kind of man was that.

“Ten!” Taeyong cried out his name.

The Soulless looked at the sound’s source and then back to Ten.

“Your friend is calling you.”

With shaking legs, Ten ran to Taeyong in tears.  
After that first meeting, the Soulless became less terrible creatures to Ten’s eyes, even if his mother insisted that he was just lucky. He was still afraid of staring at them, but not of meeting them. As the time passed by, and Bangkok grew larger on her sales, he discovered what Soulless really were.

Slaves.

Strong and loyal slaves that would do anything their masters programed them to. 

That night on Bangkok would be memorable. The streets to the main river to the colony were full of lights, travelers wearing all kind of clothes. But Ten and Taeyong weren’t allowed to follow them. Like much villagers, they would be banned from the Colony before even reaching her gates if taking the main river, so they had to navigate around a different route. 

Even in such a situation - life always remembering them that they had a different place in the world - Taeyong was holding Ten’s hand in excitement every time a different person crossed their path on another long-tail boat. It wasn’t a long trip until the Colony, but with so many people around, they couldn’t go fast, so Ten took that time to tease Taeyong.

Taeyong was smiling like a small kid in front of a candy store. His eyes were shaped like half-moons, while his cheeks pressed wrinkles on his face. He was indeed happy, glowing from the excitement and almost jumping his way to Bangkok.

“And you didn’t’ want to come…” Ten muttered.

“I wouldn’t waste your efforts.” Taeyong said back.

For a slight second, Ten’s entire body froze in place, his heart racing so fast that he thought it might break his chest bone. It was impossible for Taeyong to know what he did to get those invitations, right? But even like that, he was disgusted with his own body, thinking about what his best friend – his soulmate – would do if he ever found out that Ten was so dirty. 

Taeyong noticed the sudden change in Ten’s face and looked right into his eyes, concerned. In so many years side by side, their voices didn’t need to be heard for them to notice the changes inside each other’s hearts. They could just look face to face, touch a bit of skin or lips, and everything would be out.

“Hey…”

Ten just smiled.

“I would do anything for you, Tae.” His hands rested on Taeyong waist and his lips found its way to his cheek.

They were connected by heart, not by a simple feeling that would change some day, maybe disappear, like love. Their lives depended on each other, so they couldn’t just stay apart and keep breathing. Ten was blessed to meet Taeyong, and Taeyong was blessed to meet Ten too.

The boat rocked as it leaned against the dark mud on the banks of the river, and seemed weak enough to flip when the first passenger rose to disembark. Ten helped Taeyong down and walked through the slippery road, leaning on his own legs. He groped his pockets for his Talker when he saw a very tall, bad-looking man lining up all the travelers near the stone entrance, right next to the walls.

The queue descended the small muddy hill, and Ten could see lights shining nearby, but far enough. It was probably the holographic panels of Bangkok's main entrance. One day he would walk through those streets, but at that moment, just seeing Taeyong's excitement, he knew there could be no better experience.

Taeyong held firmly in his hand as Ten showed his Talker to the tall man. He scanned the device using a BDS - Body Detailed Scan device - that costed a billion of almas for sure. The gamblers were getting rich indeed. The man looked at them as if they were the most insignificant creatures in that place, but made way for them to follow a dark, wet tunnel when the green light of the device confirmed their invitations. Ten walked ahead, following the trail of emergency lanterns that led to a grand staircase.

Bangkok was the biggest thing Ten have ever saw. His neck couldn’t keep its rotation to follow all the walls that guarded the Colony, and his eyes did never see so many colors. Looking from outside, the place was almost medieval with stone walls and real torches. But from inside, there wasn’t a cubic meter free from neon and holographic panels. Loud music blasted from speakers and purple luminosity seemed to cover the see of people in front of them.

In the middle of the main square was a waterfall of fire, which even standing meters away, emanated heat all over the place. People of all kinds were approaching the flames, and Ten felt his heart pound as a woman with long white hair went too far near the monument, as if not feeling the intense heat. She chatted absently with someone as she simply walked through the fire, her skin intact and shiny.

Ten couldn’t believe his eyes.

The giant waterfall in front of him was a hologram.

A song started loud and the flames began to dance in sync, split in half and copied wave motions as they drew the audience's attention. Taeyong caught a breath to say something to Ten, but his it was stolen as the flames changed color to a bright blue as sparkling as the sky, now spreading cold across the square.

In the middle of the great holographic waterfall appeared a man. He was far beyond high then the crowd, his garments reminiscent of the traditional clothes that kings wore thousands of years ago. His arms seemed to control the movement of the flames, and the audience clapped in harmony with the music. Everything reflected blue until, with the man's stomping footstep, a gray elephant emerged from the shadows under his feet, parading through the fire

Elephants were the only remaining animals of ancient times, and it was rarely possible to meet one.

Ten e Taeyong joined the crowd in shouts. The teenagers cheered in excitement as the man and the elephant walked closer to the public, dancers following them and forming ans amazing choreography. The music had a electronic beat, and the whole square seemed to dance together, neon lights shining everywhere. 

The music reached a frenetic rhythm and suddenly stopped followed by a graveyard silence.

_“Sah wah dee khrap! Bangkok welcomes all of you to the 210th Sales Season Opening! Enjoy the feast tonight, and prepare for business tomorrow!”_

The crowd clapped and shouted, the big elephant resonating and making the ground around them shake. Music and neon lights kept shining for a long time, and Ten and Taeyong were able to go looking for the most important thing that night: free food.

Along the main square there were many food stalls, each of them filled to the brim with deliciously juicy meals. There were star like fruits that smelled citrus, meat drowned in spicy sauce and white rice, cups full of chocolate and candy pieces proper for children but sparkling in acid crystal sugar.

Behind the stalls, beautiful and tall slaves, men and women, served the guests, big and fat electronic chains around their necks, but bright smiles on their faces. Their skin didn’t look hardened by the sun or the labor, but moisturized in fine wax, glowing with their sweat and inviting all eyes to themselves.

It wasn’t that Ten and Taeyong starved at the village. But feasts were far beyond their reach.

They dreamed about Bangkok so many times before, but no dream would be fair enough to all those colors and lights. Nothing could be compared to the feeling Bangkok gave to their hearts, and the way she invited them to explore more and more. It was like a drug, like a sweet voice whispering into their ears for them to come closer, to feel the sensations on their skins, and play with their desires all at once. The lights embraced them, warming their bodies and second-hand clothes. It was a strange feeling, to be immersed into such a different reality full of aromas and sounds, so their minds went wild, eyes focusing in every moving thing around them.

They were both teenagers, full of hope and innocence, tempted by demons that were horrendous and hungry for their untouched souls. They were both kids with dreams taken away from them, and pushed to the ground to bow before the powerful ones, without any explanation or care. They were two persons with a last breath to be breathed. A last breath to spread warmth through their bodies and caress their souls. A last breath to make them live.

“I don’t like here.”

“You don’t like anywhere.”

And that was almost truth. He had walked for many lands, covered in all shades of green, white, red, and black. He had walked for mountains, valleys, and rivers, and lived at many villages from all around. He had saw smiles and wars, life and death side by side, spreading for all places. And he had even thought that he would never stop walking for the rest of his life, damned. But he did stop. He did find a place he liked.

A drunken man crossed his path, stepping on Sicheng’s foot after a curse, _and they weren’t even inside Bangkok yet_ , he thought.

“You are right, _master._ ” Sicheng sneered in a low voice, looking at his now stained boot. He sighed heavily, his cloak black and thick around his shoulders, hiding the most part of his pale body – including the chains.

He walked on a slow pace, not really enjoying all that people around him. Truth be told, he was almost praying – as if that was possible for _him_ – for them to just arrive at the damn Colony already, and finish what they had to finish. He knew that no one was really paying attention to him, with all those neon lights and holograms to mask his existence, but he could feel _their_ eyes on him, the whispers away but close enough to his ears, making him shiver.

_Traitor._

He could hear the magnetic lock of his chains resonate, some old scars that would never heal from his skin nor let him forget who he was. It was like hands were holding him, but he couldn’t see the faces of its owners.

And the most Sicheng hated crowds, Yukhei was totally the opposite.  
The kid would walk grand, even on a muddy path, like if it was a red carpet to his throne. There wasn’t a single soul that wouldn’t bow to the sound of his name, even crawl if he asked for it.

The boy loved all kind of attention he could get, and screams, and eyes, and hands everywhere. He loved the heat, the sounds, the lights of big events, and all the gold and silver his eyes could enjoy seeing. He was the perfect highborn brat, Sicheng would remind him, shining on the edge of his nineteen years old.

There was a tradition on his family, that said that no Wong would ever leave a place without engraving a mark, being it good or bad. So, since he was a little boy, he was taught to impress people, and he was the best of his blood. He would walk imposing, and talk politely in a deep voice, flirting and cursing when needed. But the most, he would _rebel_. The rules that did not fit his spirit to be damned.

His tall and built frame was like prison to the alive beings around him, all seduced by his brown hair, long nose, and eyes as glossy as the stars. 

“Let’s walk faster, please?” the younger muttered.

“With all forgiveness, master, I don’t want to ruin my cloak even more.”

But it was very difficult, sometimes.

The boy whined and rolled his eyes. As much as Yukhei acted tough in front of people, there would always be a shadow by his side to make him fall from his stubbornness. A shadow with no fear on his mind and no refrain on his tongue.

“C’mon, _ge_ , we do not have much time before they get here! And what if Yangyang gets sold?”

“Well, that is not my problem. You were the one who lost him on that bet.” he said simple.

The young noble opened his mouth, offended.

“But you were the one who bet him in the first place! I was just trying to save him!”

“He was not your slave to save.”

“But you are, and I command you to walk faster!” he hissed.

Sicheng stopped on his spot and glared at Yukhei, wild yellow eyes burning in rage with the words the younger had just threw at his face. Yukhei may be a highborn, and Sicheng may call him master for some stupid reason, but he was no one’s property. His kind was forced to that life and to that name, but he wasn’t destined to that fate. Just the thought of that made his skin ache under the cloak, and his breath to get trapped inside his lungs.

Yukhei noticed Sicheng’s behavior, and fuck, that wasn’t what he meant.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t m-”

“Don’t push your luck, kid. I may be what I am, but I won’t tolerate this.”

His voice was firm, as it was supposed to be, and Yukhei knew he deserved that tone. Devil was not to be messed around, nor demons, nor plagues. And Sicheng was more than all that together by nature, a creature full of poison, but craved as a precious diamond to his preys, bright and translucent.

The boy lowered his head before Sicheng’s words, and any noble around them would be mortified by the scene of a slave scolding at his master, specially a Wong heir. Centuries of submission and silence were put at proof every time Yukhei and Sicheng had to leave the Colony of Hong Kong for some reason.

“Sorry.” he said again.

Sicheng fixed his cloak around his face, looking around to be sure that no one had listened to his little scold towards Yukhei. It would be a terrible mess if some nosy noble decided to hunt them down around Bangkok to get Sicheng arrested for his bad behavior.

He walked past Yukhei, who was still with his head dropped, guilty eyes looking straight to his leather boots. Sicheng sighed. The brat was really a baby on leather jacket, ready to snap at anyone who would annoy him, but sulking at the exact moment his ears would listen some hard words to put him back to his place.

He turned back, rolling his eyes.

“Master” he called diligently “shall we keep going?”

Yukhei looked at him smiling, running to make the small distance between them. His big hands grabbed on the thick fabric of Sicheng’s cloak, to keep him walking by his side, imposing attitude back again to his face.

That was going to be a long night.

“Ten, try this one too! It’s so delicious!”

Ten smiled at the sight of Taeyong face, all covered in chocolate cream. The boy had his hand extended to him, a beautiful slice of cake hanging over the drunken grip of his fingers. The brunette’s vision was slightly unfocused, blurred by all the mugs of beer and other alcoholic drinks they had already finished, but he managed his way to the cake.

“It’s very delicious, Tae!”

Everything was extremely delicious indeed. As expected from a Welcome Ceremony, Bangkok did not measure efforts to make that night the most memorable of the entire year, a luxurious show full of desires and satisfaction. 

Taeyong grinned at Ten, finishing his own slice of cake and gulping the last drops of his beer. They have never laughed so much in their entire lives as they did that night. Countless mugs of alcohol elixirs were already left behind, each one of them opening they hearts more and more to the new sensations.

The boys would laugh to the tiniest thing, and speak loud, and dance, and feel everything they could feel. For the first time, they could be out of their bodies, hanging high on each other with the smallest amount of strength they needed, and nobody had the right to bring them back down to the ground.

Ten pulled Taeyong closer by his cheeks, hands burning on the heat of the other’s face. If that wasn’t the happiest moment of his life, then he couldn’t even imagine what happiness was like. If his hands weren’t touching that skin right in front his eyes, Ten would claim Taeyong as a mirage made by his tired mind, perfect to hold him when his body was ready to give up.

Their breaths mixed slowly, in a gentle and passionate kiss. With high but firm movements, Ten hands brought Taeyong’s frame down to his lap, and wrapped around his waist to get him even closer. The kiss was sincere, with the taste of alcohol and melted sugar running on their tongues.

But suddenly Taeyong wasn’t there anymore, his weight gone from his embrace as cold spread through Ten’s entire body. His eyes widened in surprise – and pain – while a very strange boy made his way right on him, leather and chains hitting hard on Ten skin, as both fell from the bench.

There were alarmed screams around the scene, and food and alcohol spread all around the floor. Ten could feel his skin burn where it hit the ground, but what took his full attention was the boy atop of him, with terrified eyes and sweaty forehead.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to-” the boy’s voice got stuck inside his throat in a second, eyes as wild as before. He looked stunned, like seeing as ghost.

With painful movements, Ten tried to get off the man, worrying if Taeyong had got hit as well. His hands made their way to the boy’s shoulders, trying to push him aside even on his drunk state, but the boy didn’t move from his position, face terrified looking straight inside Ten’s eyes, almost inside his soul.

He tried babbling something.

But before the boy could finish his words, his body was jerked away from Ten, the light from the holograms around the square burning his vision. Tall and strong men, wearing dark leather and very pissed faces, were holding the stranger with forceful hands, grabbing him from his hair and yanking his head like he was a ragdoll.

Taeyong hurried to Ten’s side, grabbing his body to help him to sit back on the ground. The younger’s fingers rubbed gentle on the strained shoulder.

Now sat, Ten could see the boy with much more clarity. His frame was tall but thin, with a tanned skin just like his, and hair messy and sweaty. His clothes were ripped in different ways, revealing scars all over his torso, and heavy black chains around his neck, the magnetic lock not working properly.

That man was a slave indeed. A human one.

One of the tall men landed a blow on the slave’s stomach, making him stop struggling and bowing to his knees without a breath. Ten felt his own stomach twist at the sight of it. They didn’t stop hitting the poor boy, and no one around them would do anything, too entertained with the brutality of the punches to pay attention to the screams for mercy.

Blood landed on the ground in bright red drops, and Taeyong felt the clench on Ten’s muscles as the men now kicked the bruised slave all around his body, not really carrying where the blows would land. That was almost murder and someone had to do something!

“Ten...”

Taeyong pleaded.

“Stop this, bastards!”

But it was in vain. 

One of the men looked over his shoulder directly to Ten, imagining if such a kid had just called them _bastards_. They stopped kicking the slave, throwing his body to the side, and Ten worried if he was already dead, making his dare a suicidal one. He could see the slow breath moving his back and belly, hands shaking in pain, and that was a relief.

“You said something, kid?” The man’s tone was acid and Ten gulped. The most he wanted to save the poor slave, he didn’t want to become a victim as well, but his raced heart had already moved his body and words, there was no step back now.

“T-The hell you are beating him up like this!” He said loudly getting back to his feet.

Ten was a gentle soul, kind and respectful. His body was used to terrible things, and terrible choices, but his mind and heart would never change, his promise to keep himself pure was never to be broken. Maybe the alcohol was showing some effects on his actions, standing him in front of danger in a foreign place and surrounded by invisible enemies, but he would never let a man die like that.

On that boy’s life, he couldn’t see anybody to save him, to even make him feel worth of some mercy.

“This has nothing to do with you, boy. Piss off” the other man growled slowly. His expression was scary, like possessed. Black eyes, blood all over his hands and boots, the man in front of him was a demon ready to take his body and soul.

The slave tried to crawl away from his executioners, but was stopped by a strong chunk on his back, and screamed in pain. His tears were mixed with his red blood, washing the ground with shame and fear, just for the nobles to keep walking over it. None of his screams would mean shit, just another slave slaughter on the streets for not doing his serving well, probably.  
But not in front of his eyes, not in front of his body and still living soul.

With strong steps, fast as the wind, Ten jumped one of the men, sending him straight to the ground. His punches landed certain on his face, he knew he didn’t have much time until his comrade would-

“You are fucking dead!”

Ten managed to dodge the first attack, striking the man on the floor one last time until his neck was grabbed by strong hands. His eyes followed the second attack aim directly to his stomach, and closed just before the big fist took away his entire breath.

The blows were so strong that Ten lost his senses for some seconds, seeing white and black dots all over the street. The noises didn’t make any sense, just mumbling and whispers, all wrong and in a foreign language that he couldn’t understand. There was pain on his head, and arms, and legs, and everywhere, but he still could feel the warmth of his blood running through his veins. Or out of them, he wasn’t sure.

He was sure that one of the voices screaming was Taeyong’s, high and desperate, but also furious. He could smell the dirty ground, and alcohol, and electric wires burning. And what a stupid decision he made to save that slave’s life.

The most he tried to get his senses together, and gather a bit of strength to react to the blows, the most his brain screamed at him to _keep still_! He didn’t think he was going to die, not really, but he was falling for the darkness unconsciousness for sure, and once his eyes got totally closed, then he had no control over his fate anymore.

_Keep your damn eyes open!_

And the black cloak made everything dark, thick, and Ten thought that his unconsciousness was beautiful. Fluid and strong, moving like in a dance full of charm and luxury. Every sound was gone and those yellow eyes were intense, full of hatred and poison, now stained with blood.

They say that when you are about to die, some moments before your soul finally leaves your body to wander around forever, a voice would ask you a question, and your answer would determine your fate for the eternity: if dying or becoming a soulless.

_“-k?”_

But what happened when you couldn’t quite understand the question?

_“-y! You ok? Hey!”_

Ten felt a warm something on his cheek, caressing his skin with care. His body was jerked away back to consciousness, slow and pained breaths leaving his lungs with trouble.

“Ten!”

Ten opened his eyes slowly, feeling his body respond heavily to his senses. He could now see Taeyong’s face just in front of his, a thin layer of sweaty shining on his forehead and rose cheeks. His eyes were widened but relieved, looking cautiously around Ten’s face and neck, some small cuts and bruises.

“You ok? Please, tell me y-”

“I’m ok, Tae. I’m sorry…” he said, even with his entire body burning.

Taeyong smiled tightly, but his eyes soon changed and his smile dropped, looking to the other side. Ten couldn’t see what Taeyong was looking at from his lying position, so his body screamed at him when he tried to sit. Taeyong helped, not sending a glance to his pained expression, too focused on whatever he was seeing.

And who wouldn’t be?

Some meters away from them, in the middle of the street to all eyes to see, stood a tall boy – obviously a highborn for his hightech clothes – and a slim man in a thick black cloak, hanging one of the vassals by his throat. The lights shined so brightly besides them, that Ten couldn’t tell if they were angels or demons.

“Where is you master?” the tall boy asked.

The man struggled to free himself, using his hands to try to at least scratch at the firm grip around his throat. But it was like tickles to the other. The yellow eyes were focused on his face, watching carefully as the air refused to run down the vassal’s lungs, what made his movements weak and funny.

“I hate repeating myself.” and at the sound of his voice, the slim man tightened his hold, making the vassal spit in a suffocated growl.

“H-he is at the main square! I can guide you there!” that was the second vassal, not sounding all that threatening anymore. His hands clapped together as he prayed at the boy’s feet, eyes full of terror. His face was now visible without the black mask, a thick blood trail covering one of his eyes, swollen from a cut.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary.” The boy said, and in a light movement, he kneeled in front of the man, a small smile on his lips, but eyes so dangerous that the vassal got some distance himself. “You’ll go to the main square yourself, crawling, and tell your master that Wong Yukhei took what was his” he grinned.

The man nodded immediately, shaking his legs to stand up.

“I said crawling!” Yukhei said loudly, voice full of authority. The vassal looked at him with wild eyes and laid down again, his elbows scraping against the dirty floor, as he moved the fastest he could. 

“What about this one?” said the slim man. 

Ten wouldn’t believe that such a deep and low voice belonged to him if he didn’t have heard by himself. The air was thick around them, eyes judging and praying at the same time as the scene played before everyone at the street.

He was scared that he would see a man die, after all.

“Scare him, Sicheng”

The scream that followed pierced every mind present, sending people some steps back at the street. The vassal screamed like his body was on fire, bones being broken, limbs mutilated. And Sicheng didn’t even blink an eye, bright yellow gems shining horror and blood. 

He let go of the vassal’s neck, that fell on the floor still screaming at his full lungs, and shook his hands in disgust, the black thick cloak covering his entire frame. Is was simple like that, and he almost killed a man, with no effort at all. The vassal’s body jerked in strange ways, spit and tears covering his face until his mind seemed to shut down completely.

Scare him? Ten was the one scared, the man was probably dead! What was left inside his body would never move his soul to live again. Ten wondered if the man would even open his eyes one day. He felt his heartbeat drop at Taeyong’s grip on his arm, a silent tear straining his precious face. Maybe Ten shouldn't have gone, after all.

The show was over and everyone was now ready to go back to the feast. The weak ones were beaten up, and the high ones were standing imposing over their bodies. Their eyes seeked for the wrong blood that night.

“You sure you are ok? Both of you, I mean.”

The voice startled Ten and Taeyong, as Yukhei walked towards them. Instinctively, Ten shook his legs awake, standing his body in front of Taeyong, that still seemed too shocked to react. He was scared. That was the reality of many of his people, being thrown at the ground by the stunning power of the higher ones. Shivering in shame, afraid for their bodies and souls, his people were always looking from below, and that Yukhei boy didn't seem so different, all bossy and arrogant in his shining armor. With blood on his hands, even if it was his slave that touched the vassal.

But at the exact moment Yukhei looked into Ten’s eyes, his whole face paled. His thin lips gaped, surprised, and Ten could even hear his breath getting stuck inside his throat. 

Suddenly, Yukhei looked more like a child.

Ten didn't have the time to either answer his question, or confront him about his sudden exchange of face, when a painful growl filled the air, a cough followed by a weak cry.

In seconds Yukhei was side by side with the slim man, now known as Sicheng, his both hands around the human slave's face. His fingers brushed gently on his cheeks, cleaning some of the blood straining his skin. But there was so much more, he knew that that hadn't any effect but to calm the poor boy.

“Yangyang, don't talk, ok? We gonna get you out of here.”

“M-mas-"

“He said _‘don't talk’_ ” Sicheng followed his pained sounds. 

Yukhei kept his hands on the slave's face, but his eyes traveled from Ten to Sicheng in a hurry. The boy felt his heartbeat speeding, and his mind went wild for some seconds, while still trying to understand what he just saw. _“How is this fucking possible?”_ he thought, adrenaline running through his veins. Years and years, thoughts of hope and death, stories he stopped believing after some time, all crushing inside his head with loud noises. 

He looked at Sicheng once more, and he knew the elder had noticed it as well. You fucking don't notice a soul like that.

“Sicheng...” he muttered.

“I know.” 

Sicheng’s tone was low, his yellow eyes still focused on Yangyang’s face. The energy coming from behind him, from that boy on the floor, was so strong that was messing with the thoughts inside his head. He could feel the fear fighting some kind of power, a weak but still shining power.

“What should we do? We have only a feel minutes to leave this damn place!" Yukhei whispered.

“Take him with us, of course” Sicheng said simple.

Yukhei looked to the boy again, eyes alert but scared and that strong vibration ripping through his muscles, limbs almost glowing if he could see something.

“I don’t think he will agree with that...”

Sicheng made a smooth movement and stood up, swift-handing Yangyang over his shoulder, like the boy wouldn't weigh more than his cloak. His eyes were less shining now, but still serious and piercing through Ten’s body, and the boy felt a shiver run down his spine. 

“Hey bo-”

The beep of Yukhei’s Talker stopped him on his tracks, and when he went to check it was already too late. The green timer showed a bright count of seven minutes left for them, but then light.

No noise at all, no movement for some seconds, no smell, or sound, or fear, or anything. Suddenly there was just a bright presence all over them, forcing their bodies to bend down and stay still. 

The bombs that reached part of Bangkok east wall were so strong, that dragged down centenary buildings with all their strong and sturdy bricks, crashing glass, metal gates, and ripping souls everywhere. The fire embraced the neon fluids and rose up really quickly, burning everything and sending guests, merchants and slaves in a run for their lives.  
Who was the enemy, Ten couldn't know. His mind was still disturbed with the sudden attack and his body remained frozen as everyone ran around him.

_“Soulmate”_

An unknown voice whispered right behind him, the sound so familiar yet unrecognizable at the same time that turned his thoughts and movements to his side, a thin line pulling his focus to every little detail around him. The time seemed stuck, frozen just for him, every sound on its place, but far away from Ten.

And at the other side of the crowd, Ten saw the body of his soulmate motionless, static and dirty as if abandoned for a long time. Taeyong’s caramel hair didn’t swing with the wind, but was maculated with a thin layer of dust that covered even his soul, his breath not showing.

The breath that got locked into his throat would scream for Taeyong’s name at full lungs and nothing would be heard anyway, because all the other sounds were still far away from him. The despair that consumed his body was so strong that there weren’t barriers that would keep him on ground, not even pain nor death. Everything was free and high and Ten ran through the crowd with his outstretched hand, fingers ready to touch the pale skin of his best friend.

But he couldn’t. No more than a few centimeters, one more effort and both would be safe and sound around each other. The black cloak that still danced full of charm inside his consciousness, blocked his vision. It was heavier, he could even feel every fabric line scratch his skin, ripping droplets of thick blood.

“Get off me!”

“You must calm down and come with us.”

The lull on that voice infuriated him to the extreme point. Taeyong was just in front of him, body weak and still, waiting for a last hope that was so close to him. Ten could even feel the warmth of his skin. But the thick black cloak was stronger than him, persuasive, and dragged him away from his soulmate.

“No!” there was no shout or whip that would stop Sicheng, and the more he was dragged away, the more he rebelled, the more he suffered, the more he screamed. And nothing.  
Two hands so icy as death touched his face completely wet by the tears that he didn't even felt to let down. The fingers were soft, but weren’t the same. Weren’t his, and wouldn’t calm him down so easily.

“He is dead” _no_ “And if you don’t come with us, you’ll end up like him” _no_!

Again the lull voice terrified his movements, and his soul seemed to break inside his body, unstick from his muscles and run for his skin. There wasn’t anything there anymore? Taeyong wouldn’t leave him like that, they promised to be together forever! Bangkok was going to be their most memorable night, not the last one. It couldn’t be!

Sicheng noticed Ten’s slow movements, his fingers pressing inchmeal at his cheekbones, with no more shining force emanating from it. Yukhein screamed for them, arms intertwined around Yangyang’s weak body, that supported himself in one leg, while trembling looking to the crowd around them.

Following Yukhei’s screams, Sicheng lifted Ten on his arms, feeling his little sobs tremble for his body, the tears yet fresh on his face. The slave followed his master’s voice, sneaking through cracks of despair, bumping on everyone too near around him. His body knew very well that sensation, his ears recognized those cannons and shouts. Something inside him, the same thing that followed him around all night while whispering _traitor_ on his ears, now shouted death sentences everywhere. Not even himself would be safe.

They found a safe alley still not touched by any souled in despair. Sicheng landed Ten on the ground, Yangyang by his side breathing in shallow breaths, so weakened as Ten. Yukhei cursed while his fingers managed the Talker to find a way out of that mess. The small instrument answered him with lame beeps, the timer finally coming to the zero sequence.

Fuck, why did they attack earlier?

“S-sicheng...” he tried.

And what more could Sicheng say? Yukhei also knew what that whole destruction meant, there weren’t any more untold stories.

“ _Talk_ Xiaojun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everyone loves sci-fi around here hehe As the story goes on you all will be able to understand about Soulless a bit more :)
> 
> I'm not from Thailand, so I made some research about locations, places and words to use! If you find any mistakes, pls tell me!
> 
> *Tha Chin is a river "near" Bangkok  
> *Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon are two close areas, where Bangkok is located  
> *Almas are this universe currency, and it means Souls in Portuguese, my language.
> 
> See you!


	2. Aura

Nothing around him seemed to make sense. The sounds, the shapes, the smells, everything was blurry and distorted inside and outside of his mind. The most Ten tried to breathe deeply and concentrate, the most his desperate heart beats would choke him in agony.

His mind was stuck repeating the same scene non stop: Taeyong’s motionless body left behind.

Ten could _see_ Taeyong’s faint breath shaking his dirty and fragile body. Taeyong was still alive, still holding at one last chance of saving himself, of not being left alone to die. Ten couldn’t see his face, but the boy was sure that it was probably maculated by tears, a silent cry that no one could hear.

And nothing was done to save him.

Bangkok was agonizing in deaths and despair all around. Screams coming from Souleds and Soulless slaves echoed through the walls, trembled around Ten’s body, but couldn’t penetrate his mind. Not even Yangyang’s screams, right beside him, seemed to cause any disturbance.

The slave screamed at the top of his lungs as Yukhei tried to hold him down. There was a small leather pack hanging open from his hands, translucent capsules scattered around them mixing in a pool of blood.

"You better stop moving if you don't want to lose this damn leg!" Sicheng, without changing his facial expression or stopping any of his agile movements, sounded very intimidating - that pissed Yukhei off.

"He is just a Souled, Sicheng!" he growled.

The Soulless did not even look at Yukhei.

 _Tsc_ , the highborn sighed deeply again and went back to say some words of encouragement to the poor slave. The thing Yukhei hated the most about Sicheng was his coldness. The Soulless courage was striking, just like his intelligence, loyalty and combat skills. But how much has it costed him? How much have it corrupted and cursed Sicheng’s existence?

“Calm down, Yangyang! We have to do this!”

Sicheng touched the ugly cut in his leg with no fear or care, inserting the small capsules inside the flesh with his cold fingers. As soon as the substances touched the blood and bones they started to react in a shy glimmer, making Yangyang calm down a bit from his struggling.

Sicheng didn’t have much to work with, so the small _synthetic soul capsules_ had to do their work for now. He ripped a piece of his cloak, knowing that his own energy was the best thing they had at the moment - the Soulless energy was very strong on poisoning and healing.

Yukhei couldn't look to the enormous pool of blood running around them. To Hell with the Wong name, he was scared and nervous! The boy sighed deeply and closed his eyes, touching his chin to Yangyang's shoulder.

"Shh, it's almost over..." he whispered, but that did nothing to the young slave, that was flouncing with all his strength.

Yangyang slowed his movements until they were small spasms, and Yukhei noticed his glistening eyes unfocusing and closing for a second. His head laid back against Yukhei’s chest in a peaceful breath, just to blink at him with alert eyes. His leg was now carrying a mooring made with Sicheng’s cloak, and Yukhei could see the energy emanating from it, intruding the skin. Shit.

“Kun will murder us for using them all.” Yangyang said with a nervous smile.

Synthetic soul capsules were so expensive and unpredictable that its use was highly restricted, and managing to find them on legal market was almost impossible. Using a whole stock was insane. He could already listen to Kun’s voice scolding them for applying a whole supply to just one injury.

Sicheng rose ignoring Yangyang’s word and approached Ten, the fragile Souled boy still shocked by everything happening around him. His teary eyes were astonished with Sicheng’s bloody hands and he jumped.

Yukhei and Sicheng could feel the boy’s soul vibrate through his body, almost see it. In a moment like that, it was a relief to have it contained inside Ten’s body, or also, Soulless would be attracted to that small alley in no time. But Yukhei could also feel another source of power pour around him, Sicheng’s dark evil aura moving excitedly in euphoria, and that got him on guard.

The Bangkok strike wasn’t supposed to happen like that. The plan was to find Yangyang and leave the Colony before _they_ appeared, and they had every single detail tracked to avoid problems. Not even finding this powerful aura would defer their escape. Something was off.

“Hey...” Sicheng called.

The boy didn’t answer his calling, probably not even listened it. His body was leaning against the brick wall, blood staining enough of his clothes, but no real wound visible.

“Tae-” his lips whispered.

Sicheng sighed.

“Boy, we need to leave this city as fast as possible. Can you walk?”

“I-I’m so s-sorry, Tae...”

It was useless trying to reason with him and Sicheng knew that. But that wasn’t a good time for empathy and they had to leave.

Sicheng left many things behind him when he became a walker through the new tamed lands around the world. One after another, they would disappear, and his already empty body grew deep in darkness, lost all his fragility.

His movements were much faster than normal, and Ten’s breath was taken away from his body. His shaken arms grabbed the Soulless cloak with no force at all, while the creature in front of him lifted his body against the wall, with too much force. Ten wasn’t even trying to stop him.

“You need to come with us. That Souled’s life is not worth yours.”

Now every sound was back to its place. In a stall, Ten’s mind focused around him and absorbed every word running across his head. Very slowly, they made perfect sense, the monotonous voice dripping poison from those lips like talking to the worthless living being, not even a bit of emotion to warm his broken heart. He was waking up from a sort of slumber fulfilled with nightmares.

 _Soulmate_...

_He killed him..._

_His kind…_

Ten’s eyes widened as more tears flowed through them, irises fixed on Sicheng`s yellow orbs. His body started shaking against his control, and the boy couldn’t separate fear from anger or sadness or agony. He could just feel repulsion vibrate inside his skin painfully, his blood running so hot that was burning him alive.

_He killed him!_

“You killed him!”

His senses seemed to shut down for a second, while a light as hot as strong embraced his whole body in excitement. The power flowed from his limbs and reverberated all around the alley.

Sicheng was forced against the opposite wall in a strong push, so strong that blood came out from his pale lips as his head hung down completely wasted. His back made a loud crack and his voice was stuck inside his own throat, senses focusing on just one thing: feed from Ten’s aura.

And it was _delicious_.

He was empty inside, like every other Soulless, so nothing could challenge the enormous thirst he felt every day of his existence, and nothing could really satisfy his needs if not that feeling.

The pure and invigorating form of a soul free from its body.

Ten was stunned in his spot as his body seemed to calm down. Everything happened so fast, that he needed time to process his surroundings and understand _what was that_. He thought that maybe an explosion had hit them deep inside the Colony, and that his body was burning from real fire.

Sicheng smiled as he could see despair in the human’s face. His body could feel the energy flow to the pits of his insides, so intimate and deep.

The yellow eyes chained Ten's attention like he was speaking inside his damn mind. He stood up slowly and gracefully, approaching the shaken boy with no sound as if he was floating through the air, his pale hand erasing the trail of blood that stained his chin.

It was so long since he last fed from such a strong soul! That sensation so long forgotten that it felt like his first time, his spirit completely excited.

His slim fingers traced the Souled’s jaw, shivering in pleasure. Touching him was even better than just standing from aside, it was almost an orgasm as strong as obscene. Sicheng thought about how beautiful all that power was, and the poor human wouldn’t even know its existence. That soul was so precious, and could be so much more powerful if within his hands. _He wanted it_.

His touches seemed to embrace Ten in numbness.

“Get off him, Sicheng.”

Damned Wong.

Yukhei was right behind him, hands above his plasma gun like if any human weapon could stop a Soulless from his rage. The boldness vibrated through his shining eyes, impetuous pose back to its place replacing any fear from minutes ago.

Sicheng smirked and stepped away from Ten, but still keeping his body close enough to feel the final waves of that amazing energy dripping out of his body. His eyes stared at Yukhei like a defenseless enemy, and if the boy was bold enough,he would take that as a sign against his dominance and use it as a reason to strive. Poor humans and their stupid pride.

“Down your guard, master. We don’t need more deaths for today.”

“Don’t try me.”

“Calm down both of you!” Yangyang protested.

Ten was still shaken and completely pressed against the wall. His body was recovering from the previous happening, but his mind was more than functioning now and he would get answers even if that costed his soul literally.

“What just happened?” he asked, serious. Sicheng couldn’t stop the smile from appearing in his face as Ten’s aura changed colors from bright red to fading orange. “No jokes, Soulless”.

Oh, if courage couldn’t really blind people.

“You unfolded your soul in a material way.” answered Yukhei.

The boy let go of his gun and went closer to Ten, his breathe calming. Ten was still numb, completely lost on those words as if they were spoken in a foreign language. He knew souls meant something but not exactly what. How could him _unfold his soul in a blow of light_?

When he looked up to confront Yukhei, his own mind erased all questions he had. Round brown orbs were now faint orange, changing to a calm yellow - much different from Sicheng’s ones.

His high pitched scream made Sicheng grab his shoulder to shake him silent, sensing if their position wasn’t compromised. The desperate screams were fading around them, they could risk rising attention to that area. The Soulless glared at his master, and the noble felt holes burning at the side of his skull.

“Y-your e-eyes!”

“My eyes are also a sort of demonstration of your soul.” The colorful aura-eyes were an attribute that only a few could afford. There were many things to be said.

Sicheng watched them bored. Souleds were so easy to impress.

“There are many things you have to know, but this is not the time or place. I understand that you are terrified, but you must come with us. It’s your only chance to survive.”

Yukhei said that with plaint words while _talking_ someone, his fingers easily sliding around the small device. His young age wasn’t a weakness. Even with the burden of the Wong name, the few years he had already lived brought him skills and experience, the heavy tone on his words showed that he was much more mature than his age would tell. His features were from a young highborn, a child with fair skin and no sun marks. But his soul already carried enough for a lifetime.

“I’m Yukhei and that is Sicheng.”

“And I’m Yangyang!” the boy said from his sitting spot. “What is your name?”

Ten looked down, whispering his name.

“You can call me Ten...”

Yukhei hummed and Sicheng sighed, he couldn’t say anything about his young master’s behavior. He calmed the Souled aura, and got his attention with no effort, only being his own self as always.

“Even if you still believe that your friend is alive, he cannot be saved.” Yukhei said checking on Yangyang’s and helping him to stand up. Ten could see the previous hurt leg now strong and glimmering. Yangyang was very small and thin, and seemed to be very young as well, but the second Yukhei gave him a gun, his eyes turned dark.

He heard about all drugs that were made from souls, but never had access to any of them. Seeing that Yangyang’s leg - previously a ripped piece of flash - was restored was beyond any doubt he had. Souls really could be something else.

A big explosion shaked the ground around them, very close to the alley they were hiding at. Dirty rose from the walls and the Yukhei didn’t think twice before securing Yangyang’s body against his own and screaming for Sicheng. Every second mattered and their lives were at risk if they didn’t leave Bangkok as fast as possible.

Sicheng was fast in covering Ten with his thick black cloak again and he barely had time to react as his whole body was embraced by an uncertain power, not evil but not good. It was warm in a suffocating way and cold enough to make him realise his surroundings and wake up from his panic.

The boy looked up to the Soulless lifeless eyes, seeing yellow shine unbothered to him. Sicheng wasn’t gentle and his nature would never allow him to understand that kind of feeling. He could feel the human boy shiver under his touch, but his essence would never thaw to that small demonstration of feelings. He was beyond any Souled existence.

“We must go!” Yukhei ordered.

Sicheng walked fast with a watchful and dark aura searching for enemies around. Soulless. He may be a superior kind and even carry a blaster with him, but no power could fight against thousands of them. The chains around his neck and wrists were dandling and they sounded as shouts to him. They were watching him from very close.

The alleys seemed all the same to Ten’s blurred eyes, but his feet could feel different kinds of materials running beneath them. Bricks, glass, neon fluid and bones. Sicheng was pulling him with strong hands and the Souled was struggling to walk as fast as him with legs completely sluggish.

Ten could almost hear Fear running after them, like they were on a race and not on an escape. The tremendous feeling was washing Bangkok in despair, but never close enough to cause any kind of harm. Fear was playing with them.

Sicheng suddenly stopped at the corner of an open courtyard surrounded by iron grids and neon letterings. The place was pretty illuminated and there were other alleys connecting to it, but the Soulless could feel a shadow moving fast, so they did not have much time to stay.

“Yukhei” Sicheng said and Ten’s body tensed. “Where to?”

Yukhei cursed. Xiaojun didn’t _talk_ him back with instructions yet, he was probably trying to understand the sooner attack as well to gather information. Bangkok was a huge Colony, so many ways could lead them too further into the city and make them lose their tracks. It wasn’t safe to wander around until backup was sent, specially with Ten's aura flowing so unsteady.

“Yukhei!”

“I don’t fucking know!”

Blasters and gunshots echoed very close to them and Sicheng pushed Ten to stand against the nearest wall.

“What about you?”

Sicheng was looking directly to Ten’s eyes now.

“I-I’m not from here, I don’t know...”

It was Ten's first time visiting Bangkok, he wasn't familiar with the Colony. Everything was so different from back home with all those big buildings! He was used to rivers and small mechanical boats floating around his peaceful village. Ten had never wandered around big cities before and probably wouldn't make it out alive to try a second time.

Sicheng frowned. Fate was really testing them that night.

Their attention was caught by a sound coming from behind them, a wet grunt approaching fast. He turned only to see a group of Soulless heavy armed, no magnetic chains but acrylic fiber armors around their bodies, walking around a closer alley.

Ten couldn’t stop the shiver that drew down his guts. He was really scared of dying that night, specially after seeing so many Soulless gathered together to murder everyone around. _At least I’ll meet Taeyong_ , he hoped.

They all made silence, not even breathing to avoid bringing attention to them. There was a tangible tension floating around the air and the creatures kept their march, not paying attention to the small alley they were hiding at.

_“-khei! Yukhei!”_

The _talker_ screamed.

Xiaojun.

_“Fuck, someone answer me!”_

Immediately the march stopped and the only sound heard was the mechanical whir coming from their position. Yukhei tried to silence the damn device but his hands were shaking too much.

And the Soulless had already spotted them.

Right beside him Sicheng growled a furious scream that came from inside his deepest entrails. All he needed to do was gain some time. Yangyang also let go from his hiding spot teaming up with Sicheng, and Ten thought they were both crazy.

The Soulless rose his arms from inside the cloak and broke the black chains from around his skin in a hard pull. Yukhei saw Sicheng glow in bright yellow aura - the damned creature was enjoying that situation. Sicheng's power was, for long, a threat to humankind. While wandering through all places around, he could see and even taste the fear and destruction his presence would bring. That was his nature, his real role to be fulfilled in a land of no lords or rules. He was too strong even to his own.

His eyes were fearless towards the crowd of Soulless, and he was ready to send them all back to Hell.

Using his hands, Yukhei mastered the plasma gun and pushed Ten against the wall behind them, talking Xiaojun back.

“Xiaojun! We need back up!”

The monsters attacked first, running to them with pointed blasters ready to shoot. Yukhei aimed perfectly as the first creature approached him and shot it, the electric blow splashing the Soulless head off its body. Blood spurted over him, but he did not have time to even feel its temperature as a second and a third soldier approached.

_“You are alive! Fuck, what happened?”_

Sicheng snapped towards him in a shift move and pushed Yangyang aside to grab one of the soldiers by his throat. His fingers dug in immediately, Yangyang shooting his stomach open. His eyes circled around and he could sense many others coming on their direction, so he threw the dead one away and looked at Yukhei.

“You tell us!” Yangyang screamed.

“Take us out of here, Xiaojun!” Sicheng ordered.

_“Sir, I need time, most of my drones were shot down!”_

“We don’t have time!”

Yukhei shot another plasma blast against a Soulless and went to check on Ten, making sure the Souled boy was still safe behind him. Ten obviously didn’t know how to fight, and with his aura so unsteady it wasn’t safe to give him a gun.

Also, Ten was indeed terrified and his head was spinning. He could see the Soulless gathering around them, and falling down on their spots from shots and blows, but the panic was way stronger and his mind was trying to convince him to run away from there.

Yukhei noticed that Ten’s aura was starting to unfold again.

“No!”

Yukhei’s voice was loud enough to be heard through the fight, his eyes bright orange. Sicheng immediately dropped the Soulless he was fighting - Yangyang finishing him - and rushed towards Ten.

That was the first time Ten had seen the Soulless from so close - pale skin like the moon, almost gray, smooth black hair falling over bright yellow orbs. He did not seem to be as old as Ten, not even a year or two, but he wore an expression that only those who had faced centuries of history could have.

“Control yourself!” Sicheng pulled Ten out of his mind.

How could he do that? Ten wasn’t trying to do anything in the first place! He felt lightheaded and confused as Sicheng managed to shake him and his body fought to be set free. The touch on his skin, how that was burning him from inside his mind in all ways possible. The same feeling that made him puke his guts out by disgust, but now coming from fear and angry.

He opened his eyes and tried to focus on something that was not his own harmful thoughts. Anything! Sicheng didn’t have a gun, but his hands were more than enough to keep the Soulless away from them. Ten could see his movements like he was dancing, the black cloak floating around his sluggish body.

The more the Soulless moved, the more Ten could see how used to fighting he was. What would it be his past? Had he lost all humanity like many others? Had he stolen humanity from many people and walked away like the stories he heard from his mother back home?

Ten was fading in confusing frogged imagination when a soldier approached from behind them, Sicheng too busy to really notice something.

But before the cold hands could touch Ten’s skin, they were gone.

_“Found you!”_

Suddenly Ten couldn’t see anything as Sicheng covered him with his black cloak. Shots came from everywhere and he could hear screams, blows, mechanic chains writhing around as bullets fell down on the floor. Sicheng’s body was so close to his, it was possible to feel the cold emanating from his skin, so different from any other SouledThe noise stopped after seconds that seemed like hours, and the purple glimmer from the neon letterings shone Ten’s eyes.

The small alley was covered in blood and dead bodies - headless and mutilated Soulless that were fighting them seconds ago. Right above their heads buzzed a metallic drone loaded with bullet cartridges.

“Nice, ge!” Yangyang cheered.

But Ten was speechless.

_“You can’t pass through the main gateway, so I’ll guide you somewhere else. Don’t lose the drone!”_

Xiaojun voice was much clearer now, no background noise messing the signal transmission of Yukhei’s talker. They didn’t think twice and walked past the bodies laying down on their way out the alley. Yangyang walked behind Yukhei and Sicheng pulled Ten with his arm.

Maybe that really was the only chance he would have to survive that night. Maybe those really were the only people able to help him and take him alive from Bangkok. Everything was running inside his head in not understandable scenes and sounds. He was so desperate that he completely forgotthe sorrow enveloping his dripping heart - he was blind and Taeyong forgotten.

Soul bonds were that fragile?

The drone flew above them and Ten could hear Xiaojun giving them instructions from the talker, but couldn’t be sure about what they were, he was operating in automatic mode. Lights dripped around him since the neon letterings were all destroyed and falling down on the streets in toxic fluorescent drops.

Ten noticed that they were near the main square when the enormous holographic waterfall appeared from behind the buildings. The drone shot some times, Yukhei, Yangyang and Sicheng also aiming their guns, but no sound was loud enough to break inside Ten’s head.

Until the eyes of an elephant - maybe the same one he saw previously that night, maybe an older one - met his and put everything back to its place. There was blood and, that time, the fire was real, burning the animal that groaned in agony. He was dying like everyone else inside Bangkok, but the blame wasn’t on him. So why?

Ten couldn’t close his eyes to avoid the scene, not even when Sicheng pulled his arm to save him from being smashed into the ground by the tormented elephant. They were so rare, and one more was fading away in dust, like his memories, his happiness.

_“There is a small tunnel across the main square!”_ Xiaojun chanted _“Kunhang will be waiting!”_

People were running towards every side, and crossing the main square would be a challenge if they lost each other. Yukhei took the lead and jumped inside the crowd trying to make way, Yangyang following him from behind, but they couldn’t make it much further as blows started to resonate closer and closer to the place.

A woman screamed from behind them, and like drowning in an ocean, held down on Ten to save her life from being taken in the rush. Her arms stole the balance he was trying to maintain so Ten felt his own legs give up and hands slip from Sicheng’s ones.

They fell down on the ground in the middle of a battlefield: Soulless coming from behind, Souleds running from the front.

“Save me! Save me!” the woman prayed, but there were no gods looking for them anymore. Since the first days, they decided to walk on their own, so the gods disappeared.

“I can’t!” Ten tried to reason with her, but it was useless.

“You have to! I don’t want to die!”

Her cries were muffled when another woman tripped down on her and fell down as well, pushing Ten into the ground and crushing against his ribs. He made what he could to protect himself, to defend his body from the steps cracking against his bones, but the sensation was so suffocating that he lost his senses about his surroundings.

If only Taeyong was with him… Nothing would ever afraid him.

_Look up._

The same sweet voice echoed inside his mind, but he was too afraid to follow its words.

_Look up, Ten!_

“Look up, Ten!”

This time the voice was stronger and louder, screaming against his head. Was it him? Was it Taeyong alive and calling for him? He couldn’t be wrong, that was Taeyong’s presence so near him and calling his name to save him from his death, even if Ten didn’t do the same for him.

But when his eyes looked up, there weren’t caramel bangs and tanned skin waiting to meet him, only two rounded yellow orbs and death like pale skin.

The voice and the presence he felt comfort with wasn't Taeyong’s.

"Come!" Sicheng screamed at him.

Ten felt a pulse of energy rushing inside him and jumped on his feet to reach Sicheng. It felt like courage mixed with fear, much like when he met his young sister crying outside their house. He struggled against the woman, only her arms hanging from a pile of desperate people, and managed his way to crawl on the ground. He would live!

But then Sicheng wasn't in front of him anymore, and his eyes got confused when a shadow covered him. Ten searched around in a second not sure if there was something wrong with Sicheng or if that was just a mirage his brain was showing him.

Right behind his back, touching his skin with a light burning sensation, was Sicheng's hand dripping in blood. His cloak wasn't hanging around his neck anymore and a horrible burn deformed the pale skin: a plasma shot.

It pierced Sicheng's body from his back to his chest, and the Soulless carried an alarmed expression, holding Ten down on the ground. He moved as fast as he could to prevent that shot to hit Ten, or else it would be his brains melting down on their clothes.

What the fuck was the Wong Clan doing?

That was a _serious_ injury to Sicheng and it hurt like hell the way the liquid plasma easily burned his skin and broke his shoulder bone. Human weapons weren’t supposed to harm Soulless, their potency were so low that many masters used hightech chains and other tools to oppress their immortal slaves than those simple guns.

Also, _they_ weren’t allowed to use high tech plasma guns on that attack since the target was human, not Soulless.

Unless it wasn’t.

Sicheng hissed when his shoulder cracked loud in an attempt to move and disarm the soldier right in front of him. He was trying to muddle his aim and protect Ten from getting shot but the creature feared none of his aura waves and pulled the trigger to hit whatever was near them. That was the problem about using slaves and rebels on attacks like those: they had absolutely nothing to lose.

Sicheng looked down at Ten and didn't need to say anything, the boy stood up right on his feet and managed to run inside the crowd. He was trembling so much that his legs seemed made of glass and his lungs full of fire. He could see Yukhei waving at him from the other side of the main square, Yangyang shouting as loud as he could. The tunnel’s entrance was right behind them, their way out of that ocean of death and blood.

But before he could walk two more steps towards freedom, a cold heavy hand grabbed him from behind, pulling him from his spot. Ten could immediately feel the coldness that spread around his body, a feeling that mingled in doses of sadness and anger, and knew already that those weren’t the hands of a human.

His eyes stared back at a tall man, hair long and black falling around his pale face and eyes purple in a light shade of death that seemed very experienced despite the young face. The Soulless in front of him wasn’t pulling him like he meant to hurt Ten, or to knock him down with a shock spear, he was calm and even healing to his desperate heart.

The Soulless nothing said and brought Ten closer to his body just to aim his own plasma gun and shoot across them, the splash of blood wetting their clothes. The soldier that was coming to claim their lives was now open from inside out and heaving in the ground, his entrains showing. He shot three more times and pushed Ten to dodge a blow like a pro, almost like he was dancing alone in a stage surrounded by terror.

“You are safe.” the Soulless said in a deep voice.

Words should mean nothing at that moment, but they were everything Ten had to hold onto, so he grabbed the other’s torso with all his strength. World was an unforgiving place that threatened the existence of everything that was small and weak. But that small human right holding on that immortal creature, so different from everything around them, was probably the strongest presence their bodies have ever experienced.

“Kunhang!” Sicheng’s voice was far from his hearing, but Ten could feel the impatience on its sound. The Soulless with him pulled him even closer and vanished from where they were struggling in fight.

“Kunhang-ge! Come faster!” Yangyang screamed from where he was standing.

The Soulless growled loudly, as if trying to warn the crowd that he was moving. He led the way through it as Ten held at him as tightly as he could with his slippery hands, too afraid of letting him go, of losing, of being abandoned just like he had done to Taeyong. His blurry eyes searched for Sicheng with effort just to see the other coming right after them, the injury on his shoulder so big and horrible that made his stomach twist. He was resentful to see the tremendous wound running blood down the Soulless's body, and it still seemed to burn in blisters of melted, twisted skin.

If it didn't hurt physically in the other's body, it hurt Ten's conscience unprecedentedly. He hated being the cause of someone else's suffering. Everytime he remained as strong as he could, never abandoning his shell of courage and strength, but when his actions slipped and he saw someone wounded in his place, everything was shattered and he remembered how he could do nothing. Suffering was always his shadow.

He even felt pity for Sicheng, seeing him confront that sea of people just for him, just for his aura that seemed to be so different from the other ones in a way he never imagined possible. For a small moment he forgot about the creature that not much earlier has taken him from Taeyong’s hold, sending him to death.

Could Sicheng feel something inside that hollow body, behind the yellow orbs?

They made their way through the crowd and reached the tunnel to meet Yukhei and Yangyang, both of them already running inside the small alley down the stone path.

“What the fuck were you doing when they striked?” Yukhei hissed in a breathy tone.

Ten didn’t know for sure the relation between all those people, but listening to what they were talking made something click inside his head and squish his heart in a tight hold. They were aware of the strike?

“Kunhang-ge, what do you believe happened?”

This time it was Yangyang and his voice was small, a whisper inside a fake silence they were all trying to carry. His young age was visible and touchable, running around his body in synthetic but pure adrenaline. His look wasn’t panicked or pained, he was asking with his whole innocent heart as a child asks for obvious answers.

“I don’t know.” the Soulless said “but I believe we were betrayed.” 

Sicheng growled. His eyes were focused on their way, but on his mind ran all the possible hypothesis about an earlier strike. There weren’t any answers, nor sense, nor force that would enlighten what seemed obvious: treason.

Treason wasn’t something unexpected coming from humans. For millennia they’ve being the most untrustable creatures around, and after The War it just remained as their essence. Humans, despite having souls, lost their humanity much before the first Soulless had even risen. It was because they were like this since the beginning of their being.

Kunhang got alert on his steps and looked for his _talker_.

“Xiao, we are almost outside” he hissed through the device. The answer did not take long as two LED panels came from the tunnel’s entrance, the mechanical propellers of drones cutting the wind in front of them. The way got clear and they ran to the exit.

Ten could feel his heartbeat growing faster, each step he made taking him closer to his escape and further from Taeyong. His limbs changed to automatic mode while running desperate through the narrow path, memories of hours ago mudded down his feet.

Humans learned a long time ago that souls were the most valuable and dangerous item of their existence. The presence of them portrayed weakness at the same time it meant sovereignty. Humans saw themselves forced to choose between keeping or abdicating them, as if nothing was able to save them from an imminent future. Souls kept them attached to humanity, and what was of humans without it? When the first Soulless rose, and the power requested applauses, no force could stop them.

Souls were the new currency. _Almas._

When the night wind cut against his face, Ten felt the true agony consume him. It was like drowning in a violent and deep river, its flow so strong that could tear him apart. His feet got bogged down in the fresh mudd like a hand pulling his steps back to Bangkok, the Death right after him. The struggle made him lose one of his shoes, but he couldn’t even manage to look back and look for it. The sound of the trees around him were loud enough to take his full attention.

There was a time when his naked feet felt happy running through the soil, sliding in the fresh mud from some previous rain. A time when the summer rain would make him sleep, calming his body and mind on Taeyong’s arms.

But that time was long gone, and now, his feet were bleeding from running away in fear, as fast as he could. The strong wind of an upcoming storm making him dizzy, scared, whispering wrong paths for him to take in the dark forest.

And Taeyong’s arms weren’t there anymore.

The drones turned in the opposite direction and reflected the LED panels against the water when small waves came closer to the river side. From the middle of the darkness came a mechanical vessel, her engine noises almost inaudible. It was long and metallic, imitating the long tail boats so common in that region, but much better built and equipped with high frequency thrusters.

Ten saw the _Floater_ getting near and felt his heart calm down inside his chest as Yangyang ran to the riverside in a hurry, jumping in the water and waving to the boat. Yukhei also felt relief run around his body when seeing Xiaojun handle the vessel, but at the same second a heat blow covered his back and the ground trembled as an enormous explosion burned the wall right behind them.

Then came the shots, the first of them being the drones who fired up against the small tunnel entrance. More flashes and shouts and then the answer came as highly armed Soulless emerged from the alley, shooting in every direction.

Kunhang immediately let go of Ten so Yangyang could raise him inside the _Floater_ , and aimed besides Yukhei to strike back. He shot to paint the walls in sprawled red blood. Sicheng was also fuming to get that damn night over so he went bare hands to the battle, knocking soldier after soldier in an agonizing pain left inside their own minds. He was very skilled in combat, centuries of fights and killings, but what made his reputation amongst the others was his aura usage. He was a master of despair.

“Hurry up!” Yangyang screamed while holding his hand out for Ten to grab it. The boy was shouting to whoever could listen to him, they had to leave now.

“Xiaojun!”

Yukhei saw one of the drones fall down from an electrical breakdown, probably out of ammo. The machine flew some meters and rolled down the hill crashing against some soldiers, but that nothing did to the endless line coming out from the tunnel. His mind was running in weird ways, trying to reason what was happening with the strike going so wrong and even getting his life at risk! The highborn was about to shout in a useless command to cease fire when the night got silent around him.

“Blast!”

The impact came hard and his knees bent with the force of a magnetic wave that Xiaojun had just released from the Floater. He was never on the receiving end before, so his senses got completely shut down in a splash of white and red. The low blow of sound made his ears deaf and he couldn’t get up from the mud with his own legs - he fucking needed help!

Heavy steps ran near him and hands grabbed him by his muscled shoulders to drag Yukhei inside the _Floater_. Sicheng and Kunhang looked at him in dismay, the power of their own creatures towering over the small existence of that Wong heir. To them, Yukhei’s life was worth almost nothing if not for the weight of his name, an importance that made no sense to their hollow bodies caged by electronic chains. But humans believed they were the strongest beings alive just because of the technology they had.

Let them wonder.

The boat set sail with a thrust from the thrusters and left the shore, the last drone finally being shot down. Sicheng and Kunhang positioned themselves in the stern, blasters aiming for what they could hit, but the stunned enemies did not open fire. There were no more than ten survivors, who now stood in distant confusion on the riverbank, but none of them wearing the acrylic fiber armor that the rebel army used to strike - they were armed slaves, taught only to shoot whatever was in their way. To purge from the world what was commanded them. From the riverside one of them shouted, and Sicheng knew that there was no separation between rebels and allies anymore.

“Traitors!”

They had been watching him since he arrived at the colony. Sicheng knew that his existence would never go unnoticed even in disguise by the chains and cloak of magnetic cloth. Nothing hid his immortal aura or the sparkle of his yellow eyes. In very distant times, the honor he carried was worth any shield, but now it was a stigma.

Sicheng returned to the deck of the boat, Kunhang soon after him as an obedient servant and his demanding master.

“Xiaojun, report.”

The boat cut across the low grass of the canal at a speed far above the small mechanical long tails as if sliding over the air without any impact. The night would be quiet if it weren't for the alarmed, tired expression of everyone there. Behind Sicheng the cockpit door swung open, and another man - thick dark hair and frowned eyebrows - strode to the deck.

The same purple glint over his eyes.

“We were betrayed, sir.”

Xiaojun was quite different from Kunhang, his eyes much more like Sicheng's in a look of terror. His body was slender and lean, but his pinkish skin didn't look as pale as a corpse like almost all Soulless. He had a heavy expression, and the impatience of his actions was visible.

It was beyond the anticipated strike to Bangkok and the hunting of their heads: thousands of almas literally thrown away with more than a dozen drones down and apparently all the synthetic soul capsules worn out as if they were any medicine for human ailments. Xiaojun felt the compulsion to shatter Yukhei - and everyone in the Wong family - to run fiercely around his body, and if he had not been centenarian like Sicheng, he would probably have done as such.

Yukhei immediately rose, his pose as authoritative as any earthly emperor. The name Wong was not disrespected in front of anyone, especially if this one was a blood lined nobleman and armed with plasma technology. He didn't care if he was teasing Soulless or the Devil himself, no one would go unpunished in a game like that.

“You know nothing.” he growled.

Xiaojun rolled his eyes and looked back at Sicheng, as if the human were not even beside him, imposing. Yukhei was livid.

“The signal for the strike was only given to them, so there were no drones positioned nor escape route prepared for you. You should not have survived.”

Sicheng took a deep breath. He imagined that something had been planned behind his back, but did not believe that the Wong Clan would be so sloppy to let them escape after a betrayal. Did they really think that a rebel attack would be enough to annihilate him, from all fucking Soulless? They even handed the damn family heir on a gold tray. Tsc, Humans had nothing left to lose, and even the most powerful were threatened by a danger of their own making.

But his thoughts were still intrigued that he had not even noticed a hint, a slip or movement that leaped to his eyes in the slightest. He had been fooled without any clue, and the same was for Yukhei.

“H-how do you know that?”

Xiaojun stared at the human in disdain.

“Kun.”

The Soulless took out his own talker and pointed it at Yukhei, whatever was on the screen of the little device burned in the young man's retinas like fire.

_They were clear. Don’t fail tonight and kill both of them. The lord and the slave._

The message was clear but controversial at the same time, and showed the obvious statement of his death. But Yukhei was stubborn and taught to act as such. There was no way his family would turn him over to die in a planned attack. He was the heir. The only one! His entire existence was devoted to the empire built for centuries by the Wong Clan, it was unthinkable to admit the words before him as truths; a heresy.

Lives mattered exceptionally to humans, but the same did not apply to Soulless, creatures so ancient and engrossed to this insignificant element. So Yukhei was upset while Sicheng, Xiaojun and Kunhang expected nothing more from a human relationship. The result would never change over the eras.

_It was them..._

But the only thing Ten could hear at that moment was the agony that screamed to his ears and covered him in a wool blanket on a hot day, his entire body bothered for having his soul saved that night. So long ago Taeyong and him planned to enter Bangkok and explore that night as the most special one in their lives, so long ago he promised his family that he would bring them food, and good news, and embrace his mother and little sister as the greatest treasure.

His ears burned with what he thought he heard, the obvious conspiracy that crumbled right before his eyes, and it took him more than a second to regain his memory of how to breathe.

_Murderers..._

The whispers were back because they had never left.

Those people knew about the attack that killed Taeyong, and did nothing to prevent it.

There was no word that could be said, or act, he was completely paralyzed by this as a mere spectator, and his presence made no difference to the actors of that party. _Everyone there, killers!_

The chill he felt as he looked at Sicheng in the main square was Death's embrace that went hand to hand with that creature. How could they play with so many lives? Judging who would survive and who would die? To Hell any Clan or person who believed to be superior, the guilt of the genocide that took place in Bangkok trickled down that boat and contaminated the waters of the small tributary.

_And of you, what will it be?_

Yangyang could not balance himself against the push Ten gave him as he stood up quickly. He was seized with hatred and seeing red - he would tear out all the blood he needed. His body burned with fury, and the first body before him felt the shock of his palms.

But it wasn't just that. Kunhang was paralyzed at feeling Ten's aura overflowing through his body. It was an energy so strong and inexplicable that it pinned him to the metal floor of the deck like chains. It reverberated in red from hate, and Ten's delicate body shape seemed larger and larger, pushing Yukhei against the cabin door.

"You bastard! You knew about the attack!”

Yukhei could also see Ten's aura rebelling and mirrored his power inside his own eyes. Years now and Yukhei could be compared to a Soulless and was seen by many as such. The standing-nosed pose stepping above all other names, bathed in the gold and glory of the Wong Clan, had long been the perfect poison to dilute his simple and youthful soul. Getting lost in the chaos wasn't difficult, and being who he was, he had no choice but to abdicate his own humanity as well. But he still had some hopes left, and people who clung to the rest of his deeds not to let him fall into a Soulless-like survival. Even Sicheng walked beside him.

“You killed them all!”

Yukhei remained motionless. There were no lies to be denied.

Xiaojun felt his body vibrate with the scene before him - well, he knew that Yukhei would be dead if the Soulless confronted him, so he smiled when he saw Ten take his place. But beyond that he was delighted by the disgusted aura that flowed. It was a feast! It circled its limbs as in a warm, warm, comfortable bath. One of the few moments of sensitive pleasure he still could feel.

Oh, what an honor! He would have that soul to himself, and melt for eternity in her lust.

His step didn't even leave the floor as Sicheng's steady hand landed on his chest. Xiaojun watched him in confusion and disbelief: the other was challenging him. The low, disrespectful eyes, the authoritative pose and the silent alarm that _“your step will yield death.”_ And he thought it wise not to interfere, felt his own euphoria hide before the Soulless's icy gaze.

But Ten didn't flinch at all and sank his fists into Yukhei's chest as the other tried to stop his blows without hurting him. All the despair and agony he had been through at that moment had been brought on by those people - those monsters! They carried death near them, and delivered innocent souls to her. There was no naivete in Ten, and he knew that sin was everywhere in that colony, but the purge should not have come from the rampant firing of laser guns.

They should not have fallen on him or Taeyong.

“Who do you think you are? This fucking family of yours is nothing but a bunch of murderers! Just like you all!”

"Calm down!" Yangyang shouted. He was probably the only one who maintained his lucidity for his innocence and fate.

The boy was very young and fresh from his essence, his smile the only source of power he had for a long time within the Wong Clan. He knew nothing about Ten or his life, much less the reasons for him to shine in such strong and rare aura like that. But he could feel the pain the other was facing inside his own heart without any soulbond.

He was very young and experienced about death and suffering.

Ten felt his body shiver in rage but something deep inside his own mind noticed that he had no power to fight with those men. Not even if they did not intend to strike him back. Like so many other eyes, they were looking at him from a spot he never reached before but knew very well. His eyes closed and his body gave up, knees crushing against the hard floor of the deck.

"Murderers..." he whined.

His heart was pounding so hard it seemed to scream from inside his chest, breaking all his bones. Just imagining that all that destruction was drawn by someone rolled his stomach and Ten felt the bitter taste rising up his throat and running down his lips.

Such a heavy, dark thought covered his mind and Ten could only imagine Death prowling around him again. So many opportunities she had, so many times he asked her to take him, but now being at his feet, he dreaded looking straight into her eyes and sensing the smile on her lips for finally fulfilling her role.

But before anyone there could pull themselves together or confront him with words and truths, the floater slowed to a halt, the sonar alert whistling from inside the cabin. Xiaojun shot to see what was on the LED display, it was a heat barrier, and it looked huge, almost the width of the channel they were navigating through. They were fast approaching and that could indicate only one thing.

Another strike.

Ten noticed the night lighten and immediately ceased his actions to face the sky. It was as orange as a late afternoon on the edge of the Tha Chin docks, but the moon was bright above, indicating a late hour in the night. In front of them there could be only one place: his hometown village where his mother and younger sister were waiting for him at home.

No.

_Yes._

It was possible to hear the crackling, the glow that opened in the night was unmistakable and shone in various shades of red and orange. The fire was so high it passed through the top of the trees and could be seen from far away, Ten practically feeling the heat that was not coming from it.

The boat slowed and Ten crawled closer to the edge, his heart beating at an anxious and frantic pace. He was ready to jump on the small wooden pier as soon as possible, and would rush into the small village to find his family far from danger. He could not lose anyone else, could not have another part of him torn and thrown overboard, the blood bathing him in despair.

The flow of the river into the small channel was strong enough to shake the small long tails, but the way the floater wriggled through the small entrance was not expected. The path seemed barred by something, perhaps the bottom of the channel was shallower in this part.

Ten leaned over to see what was crashing against the boat when his eyes came upon a corpse a few feet away from him, eyes bulging and rolling in a horrible expression of agony. The scream that escaped his lips died quickly as his mind registered what he had just witnessed.

No!

He got up and ran to the bow of the boat, his eyes already fogged with tears that didn't fail to follow him.

The rattle was caused by a jumble of bodies, stacked and twisted at the entrance to the channel like a barrier to prevent water from flowing. There was wood mixed with human limbs, fire spreading through the houses across the bank of Tha Chin. Ten was seeing with his own eyes death running contentedly through the small alleys of his village, taking with her every soul she could carry.

He didn't hear shouts like he did in Bangkok, it was just the terror of looking that took his sanity. There were no more living people there, no more agony in seeing life fade away.

“No!”

His body shot to the front of the boat, and if not for Sicheng's quick movements he would have fallen into the water. It was what his heart craved most, to join all those dead bodies right in front of him, but he was stopped.

Xiaojun increased the thrust force and the boat overtook the barrier and finished shattering the bodies that were still pieced together. As soon as Tha Chin's current caught them, the boat turned in the opposite direction and trickled downstream, facing its strength.

Ten watched his village walk away as he struggled in Sicheng's arms. It was the same scene that repeated itself, and once again as a conscious nightmare. There was nothing he could do if not watch the fire burn all his memories and hurt his own skin.

Guilt.

Despair.

So many were the signs that tried to keep him from going to Bangkok that night, and he had ignored them all. Maybe he could have spent the rest of his minutes with his mother and sister, maybe he could have said goodbye to Taeyong with a smile on his face. But there was only the agony of a maybe that would never give him a chance to repeat.

_Yes!_

And then the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold of you to believe that chapter 1 was sad...
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Soulmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone :) I'm alive! I'm really sorry about desapearing the last few months, but the end of 2019 was HELL for me, I almost couldn't make it :c But thanks to amazing friends that never gave up on me I'm here today, recoverying with baby steps. About Soulless, I have some good news: I wrote down the whole plot and we gonna have 7 chapters! Coincidence with how many members WayV have? Maybe hehehe, but I am FINALLY seeing the light after so many years with this story inside my head. I hope you can enjoy the suffering I'm about to give you hahahaha

His body was floating and for a mere second he thought that it was time for wake up from some nightmare. His heart rate was fast - faster than the days he would run around the whole village under the sun - almost crushing his ribs and making it impossible to breathe. Maybe it was his mind getting back from the unreal realm of dark and excruciating thoughts. Or maybe it was some real torture happening with his body.

Ten could feel a weak breeze run over his face, just like the beach. He smiled because all the froggy moments that seemed to fight inside his memories were now fading, he was being set free from some kind of invisible chain. If he could feel the breeze of the sea, than none of his fears were real and he was safely laying down at the pier, waiting for Taeyong to come around and lull him some excuse for them to leave work.

But when he tried to move, his body was trapped inside some weird and viscous mud, not that thick nor that light but very warming. He wondered where that weak breeze has gone to and tried to move a bit harder. Until it snapped and his eyes were open: right in front of him - above, around, inside - there was a grotesque amount of red blood. It was so vivid to his retinas that seemed like red painting, but that unmistakable smell and taste couldn’t deny the obvious.

The pool of blood that accumulated around him did not seem to leave his body, as there was no pain or discomfort. The screams that shook his ears no longer made any noise, just the silence and the panic of being immersed in so many deaths while he was still alive.

Panic immediately invaded his entire body, and he screamed in despair without a sound. The more he struggled to get out of the pool of blood, the more his body sank into the hot, viscous liquid. His voice had no power at all, there was no way to cry out for help, it was only possible to wait for his complete drowning.

Blood stained his lips, blinded his eyes, entered his nostrils and slid down his throat as he choked, an inexplicable pain cutting his lungs to pieces. When he realized that he couldn't take it anymore, that finally death would embrace him and bring him close to the people he lost, his retinas saw a yellow glow shine, and eliminate all the terrifying red.

Ten convulsed with a deep inhalation of air as he struggled in Yangyang’s arms, who held him tightly.

“Ten!”

The slave's face was stained with tears, he was so close that Ten could feel the heat of his uneven breath. Ten felt his body tremble, but did not know how to identify the feeling that tormented him. The reality that was molding around him had shape, it was the _floating_ cutting through Tha Chin at high speed and overflowing with a desperate sensation. Something like the fear he felt inside his mind enveloped him.

Screams were loud and clear to Ten's blurry ears, but he couldn't see anything but Yangyang's silhouette. His arms were wrapped around the youngest as if he didn't want to allow him to move despite Ten's forced urges to get up. Yangyang pushed Ten down again, almost hugging his torso completely and using his hands to hold the back of his neck, forcing his face against his shoulder.

“Do not move!" Yangyang shouted.

Ten couldn't understand what was going on, but it was clear that something was wrong. For a moment he thought that maybe he was hurt, but he still couldn’t feel any pain. His body felt goosebumps and he could see the same yellow glow radiating from behind Yangyang. The same thing that woke him from his nightmare.

“Sicheng!”

Ten's eyes widened when he heard Kunhang's voice sound so shaky. Even with his body still softened by unconsciousness, he struggled against Yangyang and got rid of his embrace, all to see the scary scene that was happening on the floater deck.

Sicheng's form clinging to Yukhei like a demon, completely twisted and disturbing, burned his eyes. The other's yellow orbs gleamed, his veins were perfectly drawn in his bare arms and shoulders, the Soulless' murderous aura over Yukhei's completely appalled body. He witnessed death feeding on the last breath of a dying man.

Sicheng could feel the burning of Yukhei's soul melting through his body, it flowed like the divine elixir that watered his immortality. It was strong, not as juicy as Ten's, but invigorating and astute enough to dilate his pupils and make his skin crawl.

His pale body was much larger than normal, the shape of a Soulless feeding was both disturbing and attractive, the source of a power that confused his victims' minds, trapping them in darkest corners of their memories without any possibility of react.

For a long time, he and the young lord had not had a disagreement like that, and for as long Yukhei had not pissed Sicheng enough like that. The other didn't even have a chance to defend himself against Sicheng's onslaught - not that there was anyone in the world that could have a chance against him, anyway - his body leaning against the cabin door stretched out on a soft swing on his knees and legs. It was excruciating to watch, but there was not much that the viewers could do.

Kunhang and Xiaojun hoped that Sicheng would not go so far as to kill Yukhei, and knew that he was terrorizing the boy to put him back in his well-deserved place, as well as relishing the tinkling of a brief revenge by torturing the family heir who had betrayed them. But even so they had an apprehensive expression, Kunhang stepped forward from Xiaojun and with his hands lightly touching Sicheng's shoulder.

But Yangyang could feel his own body freeze as he held Ten's arms, both humans paralyzed at the sight of what was happening. He was terrified to feel the vibration of Ten's aura around him, responding to Sicheng's call for death, and was doing his best not to allow Ten to be affected by it, too.

Not even a minute ago, Yukhei had the misfortune to threaten Sicheng in a moment of fury, when the Soulless coldly cursed the entire Wong Clan for treason, _"Don't forget who brought you out of Hell"_ the young man snarled, and signed his sentence. The fight grew so wildly and eagerly that neither of them had enough time to hold Yukhei on his frustrated charge, obviously doomed to failure. It never crossed his mind that Sicheng would give him back _that_ way.

"Wong Yukhei, don't forget who I am."

Soulless were creatures which there was still much to learn from and avoid.

"The nobility of humans is worthless to me, you should know that better than anyone."

Sicheng didn't even touch the human, he just felt his energy run and stared at Yukhei's wide eyes, disdaining his current situation. Well, what a joke! The Wong never took him out of Hell, he brought Hell to them! Sicheng was not like Kunhang, Xiaojun or any other Soulless in a radius of thousands of kilometers, he was an immortal from the times of the Empire, much more powerful and cursed than anyone.

That was by no means a special occasion, and everyone could even say that Sicheng was being merciful in his actions with Yukhei. If the same thing had happened two centuries ago, the young lord would probably be a pile of disfigured limbs, huddled in a pool of blood without any form. But Sicheng did not seek complete revenge in his hands at that moment, he wanted to reach the ends after all the Wong he could hunt down. Despite his unimaginable anger, he still wanted _answers_ before annihilating the entire clan. If he had been deceived by humans and was destined to die as insignificantly as that attack, he did not deserve to be who he was.

Specially because it would be _impossible_ to kill him, anyway.

For centuries he pursued it, but death eluded and hid everywhere. The time had passed when he brooded with doubts and anger, but at that moment it was as if his young, immature body was present again. Sicheng was losing his mind.

For some detail, his eyes searched for something other than Yukhei and found Ten's dilated pupils staring at him in breaths cut from terror. A cold sensation passed through his body - one he was not used to - and blurred his senses, disconnecting Yukhei from his possession. Suddenly, it was Ten's aura that he visualized and desired, all to himself.

He felt as if he lacked oxygen even though he didn't need much of it, as if he were drowning in the sea without fearing what would end there, and he didn't understand why he was agonizing like that, since he was no longer able to feel it.

Until he realized.

His feelings were not his.

Sicheng reflected exactly what Ten felt, his fragile body exposed to so many blows and being tortured by fear several times in a row.

It wasn't his lungs that lacked oxygen, it was Ten's lungs, who, being so terrified of the scene, choked on dread. It wasn't like he was drowning without fear of death, it was Ten, who, even away from the water, was in agony knowing that death would seek him out in the end.

_Soulmate._

Sicheng heard a sweet, unknown voice and let his guard down immediately. Was it inside his head that they spoke?

His movements stopped and his aura suddenly calmed, in shock. He was helpless for a mere second and had no control over what was going on inside his own head. In his many centuries of pilgrimage and curse, Sicheng has lost the ability of feeling anything inside him. Time passed accompanied by the destruction of a world and took with it all that was left inside.

In the past, before the War, losing your soul meant losing any worldly and useless weaknesses, leaving only an empty body, but perfect to be filled by what strengthened the muscles and enriched material existence. Soulless became the next step in evolution, immortal and unshakable, as there was no fear or frustration plaguing their beings.

But it was all a curse and a lie. Soulless felt, but did not care, until the feeling died within them and became food for their always hungry auras. When there was nothing left to kill inside, they searched Souleds, hunted and terrorized humans in search of the elixir for their insatiable thirst.

Many centuries ago Sicheng had started his search, completely empty of any sensation, so being able to feel again was confused and foreign to his body, which did not allow him to control it.

Sicheng moved away from Yukhei, leaving him stunned and disoriented on the floor. His movements were not agile or sneaky, but very expressive as he turned to Ten with an expression of doubt. His eyes shone in fatal yellow, but they burned in a confused feeling of fury and possession. He did not know if the other had noticed the mirror he admired, his own emotions shared with a being that had no soul. How was it possible?

Many have already tried to accomplish what happened naturally there. In research and more research - not just of the Wong Clan - scientists sought the secret of Soulless immortality, and tried to misrepresent this gift. Soulless would be Souleds' new shelter, a perfect cocoon to germinate a soul, kill it and enjoy the benefits of the immortality of a new body.

But there was never any record of success, especially since Soulless and Souleds have separate essences, coming from completely opposite and enemy poles. So how did Ten, in the midst of so many candidates rescued and presented in front of the Colonies, have shown himself to be the missing element in all equations? And how did Sicheng, the most inconceivable cocoon for any humanity, show compatibility?

On that night in Bangkok, nothing should have gone wrong.

Sicheng took a slow step towards Ten, who opened his eyes wide and caused another wave of anxiety to reverberate inside his body. _“It is comforting, even, after so long”_ , he thought. But his movements soon ceased when Ten came out of his stare.

Yangyang's open arms were audacious, mainly because they were in defense of the prey of an enraged Soulless, but Sicheng did not seek the boy's blood and let his aura return quietly into his body. By that time, Kunhang and Xiaojun had already realized that something was wrong with Sicheng, but it was still premature to ask, so they took it upon themselves to eliminate the rest of the tension that slowly dissipated in the air.

Before walking to the other end of the _floater_ , Sicheng faced Ten again, the other avoiding looking at him for a long time.

Perfect. More questions.

If Fear took a shape for himself, it would be the shape of the Tha Chin's waves moving quietly in the middle of the night. He whispered sneakily after the _floater_ , almost touching the skin of her crew unceremoniously, greeting them like an old friend. 

It was very dark, it didn't make much of a difference the reflection of the led panels against the black grass around the river, the water would not allow herself to reveal either. It was like running with closed eyes through a dead-end maze. Even the roar of the waves crashing against the metal hull of the boat seemed to be engulfed in darkness and sounded silent and hollow. Lost in the darkness of a desperate night.

There was no difference from the real and unreal anymore, Ten’s eyes were focused on nothing but reflecting everything he saw hours ago over and over again, like a movie in a broken show. His body was exhausted in a way he never felt before, far beyond all the pains and lashes he already collected. Even the hottest days at the port or the coldest nights in the village's alleys hurt him as much as the sight burned in his eyes.

There was no real sound reverberating through his ears, but Ten could hear the crackles of fire from miles away as if they were right next to his body. And that was why he writhed in the dark, trapped within his own mind. None of the images were so fake and real at the same time, distorted fragments of a memory that he captured in seconds, but that would last for years inside him.

Luckily or badly, he did not know, but his mother and sister's face did not appear before him. Ten did not see them dying or suffering, did not imagine their deaths as obvious as they were, there was only nothing and he was in front of everything. What his last words or thoughts were would have been kept secret for the rest of his existence.

His tears were no longer flowing, probably because of the tiredness in which his body was, deplorable and inhuman after all. He had just lost all the people who mattered most to him, and his own body had betrayed him at the time when he most needed tears to cry.

With each forced breath in his lungs, an inexplicable urge to scream was catalysed, but what good would it do if nothing else was important to him? What good would it do to him if he was hostage to a genocide and chained to those responsible, as if he still owed them something in exchange for his life.

Ten had not stopped thinking about everything that had happened since the attack on Bangkok, since the first bombs blew up the concrete and neon walls of the city and his fingers detached from Taeyong's unique touch.

If he stopped to analyze the whole situation, he would certainly not come to any conclusion, since reason had abandoned him hours ago, landed when the affluent ended up at Tha Chin and his village burned in flames. Each detail was useless, the pulse of energy that emanated from his body, the temperature of Sicheng's skin, Yukhei's colored eyes and all the plasma shots he had witnessed that night. None of these were relevant to him in a world where his existence was linked to the death of the people he was supposed to protect.

But still, even in the face of a completely hopeless and bleak future, Ten knew he didn't want to die. He didn't know why to continue, but he had seen death so many times that day, that he knew he didn't want to leave with her, that he was too scared for that.

What a coward!

The feeling of guilt that covered his body weighed even more when he looked at the _floater_ deck. It was dark, only the control panel inside the cabin glowed slightly from the buttons, but he could see Sicheng's yellow eyes staring at him through the night. He had been in that same position for a few hours now, and his mind tried to whisper lies to his ears, confusing whatever he tried to think about Soulless' motives for acting as he did.

Sicheng still had blood and burned skin showing up on the sides of Kunhang's improvised bandage, something that kept the hideous wound fully hidden. As much as the human knew that there was no reason enough to care, it still burned in his chest a strange sensation of seeing that creature tainted by something so trivial. How many times did Sicheng save Ten from death that night?

It wasn't as if gratefulness was dripping from his lips, but Ten was holding words that he would like to exchange with Sicheng, especially to shut his mind over his damned penetrating gaze. His attention changed direction when Yangyang left the cockpit with something in his hands, an inexplicable and inconvenient smile on his face. How could he have such an absurd peace of mind in the midst of all that chaos? How did he have the audacity to condescend to Ten after all he had done? Whether he shot the most that night or not, the young man had blood on his hands and it was innocent blood.

“Ten, you better eat something. I got you this.” Yangyang held out a small package to Ten, while devouring the other package. There was not much food on the boat, so that was the best that the boy could find.

Ten didn't even respond, just looked at Yangyang with as much disgust as he could show. He carried with him a profound and bitter experience of disgust, it was common to use the same eyes when he was in his village, especially when he was in the presence of his stepfather. It worked for him a lot, and for a few it didn't, but he smirked when he saw the expression on Yangyang's face fall like that of a crying child.

Even ashamed, Yangyang tried to deliver the package to Ten, only to further torment him until he snapped.

“Get the fuck away from me!”

His hand threw away the small package and bread spread all over the floor.

Yangyang's startled groan was enough to make him feel a twinge of shame, his eyes immediately searched for Sicheng, who remained with the same listless and unquestionable expression. The bastard didn't even bother to look at him with a disapproving look, it looked like he was staring at the pitch and not inside Ten's soul. The Souled swallowed a cry that almost escaped his throat, and looked back out of the _floater_. To Hell any of those bastards and all the guilt they made him feel.

Yangyang collected what he could from the bread that shattered on the floor, they didn't have much food, but he couldn't blame Ten for his outburst. In fact, he regretted being so careless in that situation. Perhaps the other was not even hungry after all. His young soul still needed to learn a lot.

During all the years he spent as a slave, he learned to value food and ammo like nothing else, but he understood that not everyone was like him. Nobody was.

His cautious steps slowly approached Ten's shrunken form just to place the crumpled package beside him. If he changed his mind, he wouldn't have to ask for food, it would be right there. Hopefully they would find somewhere safe to get off the _floater_ and get real food, maybe even something that was especially appetizing for Ten!

For many Yangyang was just a child. His young age, his always smiling expression, his so young and withered body have always been a reason for life to give him experiences far greater than he could carry. But even though many saw him as the jovial and unskilled soul, when put to test they were in a position far inferior to his.

Yangyang had fought more battles than many soldiers, had shot with blasters and piloted drones for different reasons. He had already stolen bread as very well-kept information and official databases from different colonies, which was why he was so different from what everyone believed.

Probably, of everyone on that boat, he was the only one who could keep his sanity because that was the only thing he had left. Years in unconditional service end up stripping people of almost everything they are, so they need to hold on to what they can to stay alive. And it was his sanity that saved him several times.

Not knowing how to act, Yangyang approached Sicheng and sat on the edge of the boat. Facing the night seemed to be the best option.

Of all the moments he experienced in his existence, Xiaojun was doomed to constant adversity, all deadly and defiant in its very nature. Well, he was one of the creatures who had walked the most in these lands, who knew most of their dark secrets and how to get around them, even to confront them. There was nothing that made him afraid, that word didn't even exist in the ancient language he spoke in his Empire days.

But that night, floating around the Tha Chin, Xiaojun found himself facing a dilemma: go back to Hong Kong and annihilate the entire Wong Clan or just settle for Yukhei's life and disappear in that wretched land that had no future? He knew that both of his options would not be accepted by Sicheng - perhaps the option of decimating Hong Kong would spark him. But they would be alone against an entire colony, and however old and strong they were, he knew it would be a suicide mission.

His feet went around the boat to account for both the damage and what was left to take them to some safe place. There was no longer a functioning drone - carcasses and bullet cartridges scattered on the floor - and only his blaster and Kunhang's plasma gun had minimal ammunition. Even with emergency repairs to the drone shot down on the corner of the deck, it would still be useless without weapons.

Xiaojun didn't need to be cautious in any of his actions, so he didn't mind taking heavy, loud steps across the deck while mumbling to himself about all the damage. The wave of _blast_ that fired at the exit of Bangkok took a good part of the energy of the _floater_ that now began to lose its speed, the LED panels were almost switching off.

His restlessness took him into the _floater_ cockpit, the Soulless decided to keep his eyes on the navigation panels. How ridiculous, he looked like a human! The irritation that consumed him seemed to bubble through his veins, and he even took a deep breath as he held a growl in his throat.

Once again he realized the obvious: Souleds could not be trusted.

After seeing an empire soaked in glory and plunged into disaster by the outrage of mortal hands, Xiaojun learned that not even the centuries could prevent the same mistakes from being repeated in a tragic and decadent history. How much it was still worthwhile to be on the side of those treacherous creatures was the question that most tormented his mind.

But he also knew that, of all the paths he traced, none of them was more correct than the one he decided to follow with Sicheng. The centenary Soulless was not just anybody to underestimate or to look bold in his direction. There was no lie nor infamy in his decisions, he chose to stay with the Souleds because his essence trusted their essence. And some said it was not the wisest of choices, but not Xiaojun.

His hands slid attentively over the buttons on the panel, failed attempts to communicate with Kun who had been missing since then. His Talker didn't answer any of the calls, maybe the other one was in deep trouble after the Wong's betrayal, maybe dead - even though Xiaojun knew from experience how difficult it was to kill Kun.

Without much information and with his head on, he needed to work with what he had: a few hours of battery and manual navigation, no way of tracking that could tell them away to the Hong Kong. How many years ago he was not forced to fly like humans? Ah, how he missed the old days.

The door behind him opened and Kunhang's slow steps filled the air with a heavy feeling. The other's aura was visibly disturbed in a mixture of anger and alertness, and it was not the first time that Xiaojun had seen him suffer from it. The situation was repeated centuries ago, on the same day that the Empire fell.

"Did you get in touch with Kun-ge?"

"Not yet."

Kunhang sighed in disappointment. It would be a big problem to cross the border to leave that territory without help from Kun. Soulless were still treated like slaves, and after what happened that night in Bangkok, it would be even more difficult. His eyes scanned the panels to understand the direction they were taking.

"Where are we heading to?"

"Chiang Mai, in the north." Xiaojun said monotonously.

The ruined city was to the north of the territory controlled by the Bangkok Colony, hidden among ancient trees and temples carved of stone, silver and gold by the hands of the First Men. Everything that was once the most valuable of metals today was nothing but cheap and outdated decoration, peeling into a fine powder that covered the city and blinded its inhabitants in dry periods. Chiang Mai was not only famous for its untouchable beauty since the war period, but also for its somewhat differentiated economy. Only in Chiang Mai was it possible to find deals and bargains that would never be made in Bangkok: exotic animals and their Soulless combinations, or _hybrids_ as many used to call them.

The largest illegal hybrid market in Asia, much larger than the Colonies that traded that type of merchandise legally, spread through streets and alleys painted in gold, the most varied neon signs and in different languages. Their lodgings were grotesquely more modest than those in Bangkok, after all, no luxury was expected there: in what the capital passed for sophisticated prostitution and slavery at absurd prices, it was a reason for disdain there. Souls were not enough to pay for any of those creatures, they should have been accompanied by exceptional strength, obedience and a pair of fuzzy ears.  
It was the perfect environment for any type of criminal transaction that could get them out of the country, Xiaojun would only need to find the right thing - or person - to bargain with, maybe this prize was an desolate soul in that same boat crawling across the grass.

Both Xiaojun and Kunhang were aware of all the uncertainties that that escape route provided them and knew well about the risks of landing there, especially in the midst of the chaos that should have spread throughout the region through messages and transfers in _Talkers_. But in the worst of all cases, Yukhei still carried the name Wong and would have to use of his fake influence to get them out of trouble. It was obvious that the Wong's betrayal would not go unpunished and that Sicheng would allow both to squander on the noble blood carcasses he would leave behind. But for the moment, Yukhei should be kept alive.

Kunhang leaned against the wall and took the _Talker_ out of his pocket. There was not much he could do in a situation like that, his immortality was worthless. So he decided to try to contact Kun without interruption. Among all those immortal creatures, he seemed to be the least cursed.

When artificial lights illuminated his face, Yukhei realized that he had spent hours on end lost within his own thoughts. Chiang Mai shone in the distance and resonated with drum-like beats, synchronized to the young master's heart beat. Years ago he set foot on these lands, but in a very different situation, not as a fugitive - abandoned and hunted by his own family. In those days, he went hand in hand with his father while choosing which utility device would be given to him as a birthday present.

In the days when he was a child, long before all the promise and pledges of unconditional loyalty to his family's name, he believed in the Wong Clan's purpose in eliminating any inequality in that averse world. He knew that all his slaves were not slaves, but protected ones who swore servitude; he knew that all his weapons did not kill innocents, they only wounded and sought the monsters' souls.

All the untruths that were said to him marked his being, molded him into an honorable and determined heir. All of that to be played on the banks of a dark tributary, on a clandestine exit from Bangkok.  
There was no indignation that fit in his chest, the flaw that was embedded in his heart was much greater than all the scars that adorned his golden skin. His family's coat of arms was bathed in his own blood, and so they would celebrate.

But why?

Where did he not notice that something was being organized against him? Where did he leave blind spots or dubious words in his attitudes that led him to this karma? Now, there was real despair in his mind to believe in a destination and its lying consequences. A Wong was not predestined for anything but success.

So his throat closed and he was trapped. The fear that spread through his body in Bangkok at the time of the attack was not the same as now. It was all inside his head, even around the presence of Sicheng, Xiaojun, Handery and Yangyang. Even the presence of Ten was a burden on his hands, because soon it would run down his fingers like blood.

The sob he gave did not go unnoticed by Yangyang's attentive ears.

“You can cry, ge.”

Yukhei heard Yangyang's sigh sound very close to him, but it took him a few seconds to realize that the slave was addressing him. Not for the audacity of a vassal's words to his master, but for the innocence bathed in courage for the other to offer him such an option. A Wong never cried, and he had lost his own tears some time ago, anyway.

"What do you mean?"

If a feeling surrounded his soul and disturbed his heart, it would not be through his eyes that he would overflow. It was something that had been carved into him forever and ever.  
"We are all scared, there is no need to suffer in silence."

Yangyang has always put his life up to test by keeping his words bold to the Wongs. Luck covered him with her cloak for allowing such benevolent masters, but he seemed to like testing the firmness of that cloak.

At that moment, Ten also began to pay attention to Yukhei, his eyes thin and opaque observing what seemed to be a manifestation of life within the young lord. Did he seek the warmth of a soul in an uproar or was he just witnessing the collapse of the Wong Clan? After all, Ten had no reason to owe him his life, since Yukhei had already taken away all the reasons for his existence. Nothing better than enjoying the symphony of a disaster.

Yukhei looked at him in disdain and felt a point of shame poking under his chest, it was obvious that Yangyang's indifference towards him, the boy was concerned only with his spirit, not with his name.

“Don't have any stupid ideas. We don't need more drama. ” and nodded in the direction of Ten.

His own eyes flashed orange when the other's aura vibrated inside his body. Nothing like the yellow that came out of Sicheng's morbid eyes, but a flame just as poisonous. He knew exactly what was going on inside the other's body, he could feel his spirit moving, and even though he knew he should control it - provoking any restlessness in that soul on the shores of Chiang Mai could be a big problem - he didn't look away, and stoked the uproar in Ten's eyes even more.

With what authority did he look at him that way? Yukhei lived surrounded by enemies, far beyond those he considered, so he did not descend from his small golden podium even when that podium was in flames.

But the problem was that it was exactly the same with Ten. For many years, long and difficult years, the Souled was nothing more than the target of the most categorical and frightening faces. Provocations, threats, all of it had broken his spirit in a way that he was always warned about. So if Yukhei believed that at that moment, after all the advances he had taken, a provocation of nobility would make him retract his feet, he was very much mistaken.

Ten did not get to touch Yukhei with his hands, his nails almost reaching him to take whatever blood he could from that immaculate face. Yangyang was already on his feet hugging him tight and preventing him from approaching, as agitated as the other. It was not his intention to cause another moment of discomfort.

“Please, both of you!”

Yukhei got up with a dismissive smile and walked, unsteadily, to the other side of the _floater_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was slow, sorry :c


End file.
